


In A World Of Alphas

by thorkified



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Peter Parker, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkwardness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fake Alpha Tony, Fluff and Smut, Good Alpha Peter, M/M, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-15 12:56:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 23,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17529137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thorkified/pseuds/thorkified
Summary: The Avengers are strong, powerful Alphas, everyone knows and it's something they all joke about sometimes because it's just amusing. Tony jokes and laughs with them, knowing that they have no idea about the Omega in their midst that pretends to be just like them.That is until Peter shows up, the friendly neighborhood spider, and Tony realizes that all his efforts and precautions turn out to be useless around the kid. Peter can smell the Omega he so desperately tries to hide and it only gets worse from the moments he understands this.





	1. Chapter 1

There's something almost amusing about everyone seeing just another Alpha in Tony. Everyone on the team is an Alpha, even their newest recruitee Peter, aka Spider-Man. It's pretty much part of being an Avenger, they joke, and Tony laughs with them because it's the facade he needs to keep up at all costs. He's an Alpha, one of them, strong and independent and that's exactly how it should be. The only thing wrong with this is, that he's not.

Ever since he presented, Tony made sure to keep up the Alpha image. Artificial scent, perfume he uses almost hourly to mask his own scent with, adapting Alpha behavior and mannerisms, chasing after Omegas to the point he became a Playboy. No one knows and that's good because their respect would fly right out the window if they knew Tony is the exact opposite of what he pretends to be. He's been an Omega ever since he turned fifteen.

It's not easy for Tony, obviously, but he grew up with a certain view on the whole thing, especially regarding Omegas and he's not going to let that ruin what he built up over the years. And it all went perfectly, until Peter showed up. Because something about Peter is different and it's only two weeks before the first signs come through.

They're working in the lab together when Peter suddenly leans over really close. He stays like that for a moment before pulling back, frowning.

“You smell… different.”

Those three words already ring all the alarm bells in Tony's head but he brushes it off, saying he probably needs to shower and they both laugh about it. But the moment stays on Tony's mind.

A few days later, something similar happens. They are at a meeting and Peter suddenly begins to sniff. Then, he narrows his eyes and looks over at Tony, who immediately tries to hide his flushing cheeks and turns his head, engaging in a conversation with Clint.

It doesn't take long before Tony tries to stay away from Peter. Even if he bathed in the Alpha perfume he has, the kid will act as if he smells something that's not right and Tony knows exactly what. He smells the Omega he's trying so desperately to hide.

Given being an Omega is such a huge secret, Tony is very careful with heats. He has built a special room in the basement of the tower that's connected to his lab, a room where he can retreat for several days and that is stocked with everything he needs. It's locked as soon as he enters and Friday will only open the door when his heat is over or when there's a medical emergency - a security measure Tony deems necessary with so many Alphas around.

And normally it's not a problem. He knows when it will happen, he will make up a lie that he's going to an oversea conference or meeting and no one ever asks because he's Tony Stark, he does what he wants.

The first heat that comes up when Peter is there, however, doesn't start quite like that. It's two more days and Tony prepares for his absence, stocking his heat room with food and things to work on when he has the time, when suddenly Peter steps into the penthouse, just as Tony is looking through the kitchen for some sweet things to take with him - during his heats he's a sugar addict and he hates it.

“Mr. Stark? Are you looking for something?”

Tony tenses at the kid’s voice and stands up straight, forcing himself to smile when he turns around.

“Just trying to find a snack, but it looks like someone raided my kitchen,” he jokes and closes the cupboard door with his foot. “You need anything?”

“I got your message that you couldn't make it this week and wanted to ask if I could still work at the lab while you're gone?” Peter looks almost ashamed when he asks and Tony scolds himself internally. If Peter is in the lab he will be literally a door away while he goes through his heat and even though the room is sound and smell proof, he doesn't really trust those things when it comes to him.

“I don't think that's a good idea, kid,” he says and runs a hand through his hair, sighing. He can already see the disappointment on Peter's face and he hates it. “How about you just take a break yourself? You're working so hard, you deserve some time to have fun. Play games, meet your friends, stuff like that.”

“I won't break anything, I promise!” Peter is quick to assure him and fuck, Tony wants to let him stay but it's impossible. This can't go right, it just can't. “I'll be careful not to touch anything and I won't make a mess!”

“Peter, it's not about a mess, it's… just not a good idea, that's all.” How can he convince Peter to just drop it and stay away for a week, without shattering him? Working in the lab is the highlight of his day, Tony knows that. “It's just for a few days, I'll ring you up when I'm back, okay?”

Peter looks like he wants to protest again, but after a moment his shoulders drop and his head follows and he lets out a sigh. “Okay…” he says quietly, sad and defeated. Tony wants to punch himself, repeatedly. “I'll just… wait for your message then.”

Tony doesn't think, that's the only reason he can come up with later for walking over and pulling the kid into his arms. Peter stiffens immediately, just like he did himself before, and Tony tries hard not to worry about it.

“It's not because I don't trust you, Pete, alright?” he says as calm as possible, rubbing the boy's back. “I know you're careful and won't break anything, but you're overworking yourself and you really need a break from that.”

Peter doesn't reply right away, instead, he wraps his arms around Tony too and suddenly it feels like he's trapped. Tony's breath goes faster and then stops completely when he can hear - and feel - Peter smell him. This is bad, this is all kinds of bad. He tries to let go of Peter and to step back, but he's completely paralyzed.

“You… you are not…”

“Okay, stop!” Tony needs all his strength to speak and to not let his voice tremble and finally manages to push Peter away from him. The kid's eyes are wide and knowing and it's even worse than he expected it to be. “Whatever you want to say, don't. It's wrong. Just leave, I'll text you when you can come back.”

“But, sir… I… you...”

“ _NO!_ ” Tony almost shouts now, balling his hands to fists. “If you say anything about this I will never speak another word with you, Peter, I mean it! And now _go_! Get the hell out of here!”

Peter's eyes widen even more at this and he gulps hard. But, thankfully, he doesn't say anything else before he turns and leaves the penthouse, just in time to not witness Tony sinking to his knees, muttering “Fuck” under his breath.

That's got to be the worst possible thing to happen. Why didn't he stop himself before coming so close to the kid and his nose? Why was his need to comfort Peter so strong he ignored all of his instincts?

“It's this fucking heat,” he eventually growls and pushes himself up. It has to be that, it just has to be. Anything else is just too far fetched. His heat is making him emotional and he always hated that. Tonight he will lock himself in his room and in a few days this whole thing will be done and when his brain starts to function properly again, he will find a way to fix this. Maybe he can even convince Peter that he got tricked by his senses. He is still young after all, such things happen.

In the evening, after making sure to get some more things into his heat room just in case, Tony gives the last instructions to Friday and locks himself up for the following days. He always dreads his heats, being forced into isolation is never fun and this time he has all this guilt over Peter to keep him company too. It won't be pretty, he knows it.

No one could say Tony's heat room is anything but luxurious - it has a TV, computers, a two-way security system connected to his lab, a fridge and even a small cooking isle and a big comfy bed - but it's still nothing more but a cell to keep him locked away from any possible Alpha around him. He even installed a shower in the small bathroom attached to it, just for his own personal comfort after a heatwave. It's a necessary evil, so to speak, one that frequently steals five to six days of Tony's life he can't get back, but what can he do?

The first night and following day are boring because his heat didn't start yet, but it's better to go a day earlier than one too late - a close encounter with Steve after his heat started some hours early a while ago taught Tony this detail the hard way. He spends his time mostly with fixing protocols on his laptop and having a few drinks in the evening to fall asleep easier - one time Pepper calls him about a contract he forgot to sign before leaving and he promises her to get it done as soon as he's back, but that’s as much human interaction as he gets.

His first heatwave hits him hard around nine the next day, reminding him just how much he hates being an Omega. If he actually were an Alpha, he wouldn’t have to writhe and roll around on his bed like a filthy whore, fucking himself on fake knots just to get rid of this embarrassingly strong need for it. He almost forgets about Peter during the whole ordeal and while Friday gets rid of the disgusting odor in his room - Tony absolutely hates the scent of his heat because it just smells of desperation and shame - he takes a long, relieving shower, preparing himself for the hours of relative calm that are about to follow.

Generally, after every wave of his heat, Tony has a few hours to relax, to sleep, to even work when he feels like it. This should be something to look forward to, but at the moment he’s far too frustrated to even think about work. He stares at his screen for the second hour in a row when Friday suddenly gives him a silent alarm on a second monitor. There are only two reasons for this kind of alarm: either the tower is under attack or someone is in his lab, and for some reason, Tony doesn’t think it’s an attack.

“Pull the lab livestreams up, Friday,” he says and narrows his eyes. There are three small windows opening, showing every corner of his lab and Tony notices that this intruder is there for longer than the minute that has passed since Friday’s alarm.

He stares at the screen, at the second camera stream to be exact. It shows a corner of the lab and there sits Peter, with his arms wrapped around his knees and his face hidden from the camera. DUM-E is next to him, awkwardly patting the boy’s back and then Tony hears it, a heart wrenching, muffled sob.

“Friday, why didn’t you notify me right away about this security breach?”

“Considering it’s Peter, I did not classify him as a threat, sir,” Friday excuses herself. “He seems to be in a lot of distress though, I thought you might want to know.”

“Fuck.” Tony slams a fist onto the table. What is Peter doing here? And why is he sitting in the fucking corner of the lab like a beaten dog? “Friday, turn up the audio and zoom in, I want to hear what’s going on there.”

The picture gets bigger and Tony hears a beeping noise coming from DUM-E, to which Peter shakes his head as if he actually understands him. Tony frowns, this is weird. But then, the boy sobs again and covers his head with his hands.

“I… I didn’t mean to make him mad, I swear,” Peter sobs and Tony feels his chest tighten with guilt. No, this isn’t happening… Peter isn’t sitting there crying because he yelled at him two days ago, is he? “I didn’t know, I swear, DUM-E, I didn’t know…”

DUM-E beeps again and pats Peter’s head, but the kid only cries harder at this attempt to comfort him.

“What if he hates me now? He was so angry at me, what if he really won’t talk to me anymore? And he will be so mad when he finds out I’m here but… I miss him so much when he’s not there… I thought I could do it, but I can't…”

“Friday, what’s wrong with Peter?” Tony asks, unable to believe this is really just because he was mad over the boy finding out the truth. It seems like such an overreaction, it makes no sense. “Did he get hurt? Is he sick?”

“I’m afraid not, sir,” Friday says as Tony watches DUM-E hand Peter a tissue that he drops into his lap. “I cannot find any injuries or illnesses, it seems that his outburst is purely emotional.”

“Perfect…” Tony groans and drops his forehead onto the table. What is he supposed to do now? At the moment the smell of his heat isn’t that strong, but once his next wave hits… he just knows that Peter will notice it, whether or not his room is smell proof. “He needs to leave.”

It’s kind of impossible to look away from the screen, now that Tony knows Peter is in the lab. He doesn’t like seeing the kid cry, especially not because of something he did. It’s not Peter’s fault that he can smell through his bluff, is it? No, the kid never asked for his senses to be improved to the point they become a problem and Tony likes him, he really does. But this isn’t good. He knows that he will lose it when an Alpha is this close, he just knows. It happened once already in the past and it almost ended with Tony being mated to a random stranger because he didn’t pay attention to his cycle yet. Since then he learned to stay away from Alphas, knowing full well that he had no fucking control over himself.

Suddenly, something on the screen changes. Peter stands up and uses the tissue DUM-E gave him to wipe his nose. He repeats that a few times and Tony starts to worry.

“Friday, how smell proof is this room when you take Peter’s improved senses into consideration?” He can’t believe he didn’t check this earlier, but the number Friday are running in front of him don’t look good.

“There is a rather high chance that he will be able to smell something once your next heatwave hits, sir,” Friday tells him - not that he expected anything less, of course, that’s just Tony’s luck. “If he stays where he is, there’s a 60% chance that he will notice. But if he comes any closer to the door…”

“Friday, tell me,” Tony says strict when his AI pauses. “How high is the chance?”

“100%, sir. Peter’s senses will pick up on it, I cannot prevent it, not even if I seal the whole room and air ventilation.”

“Shit!” Tony hisses and get off the table. This is bad, this is all kinds of bad! “The bathroom! What if I go there?”

“Sir, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go there during your heatwave. It’s too dangerous.”

“Friday, if he knows I’m here I will try to get out!” Tony groans and fists his hair angrily. “Fuck, I might even try it when he doesn’t know! He needs to leave, I cannot let him see me like this!”

“Even if you try to get out, sir, my protocols forbid me to open the door under any circumstances until your heat is over or you have a serious medical emergency. And Peter will not be able to get in, it’s impossible.”

Tony groans. Yes, he knows all of this and that’s what makes it so damn difficult. He can’t get out and drag Peter away and he can’t let him in - which would be even worse because Tony would jump the kid’s bones like there’s no tomorrow, probably traumatizing him for the rest of his life. And it won’t take long before his next wave is coming, the four to five hour timeframe is already half over.

When he glances back over at the screen, Tony notices that Peter is still there, staring at the project they have been working on for the last couple of days. The one Peter claimed he wanted to finish so desperately he even asked to come to the lab while Tony is gone. He doesn’t look as though he is going to work on it, however. The kid just looks sad and defeated. Tony hears another beeping from DUM-E and then Peter turns around, patting the robot’s head. For some reason, this actually makes Tony smile. He has never seen anyone who treated DUM-E or any other of his robots and AIs like Peter does, but he shouldn’t be surprised, after all, the kid named Karen too.

“I wish I could apologize,” Peter says quietly, sitting down on the bench next to him. “I’m sure there’s a reason he doesn’t want anyone to know and I just acted so dumb and rude… no wonder he’s mad at me.”

DUM-E beeps a few times and strokes Peter’s hand, to which the boy smiles weakly.

“You think he will be angry that I came here?” Peter asks with a sigh. “He was so determined to keep me away from the lab and I didn’t listen…”

_Yes, feel guilty! Leave! Don’t think about coming back and do it fast! Come on, Pete, be a good kid and fucking listen for once._

Tony almost thinks Peter will actually leave, but of course he doesn't. He covers his face with his hands and sobs again and Tony just wants to storm out of the room to hug him and then get him as far away from the lab as possible. And then, he gets an idea. It’s dangerous, it will reveal that he’s there without his heat doing it for him, but if he can get Peter out of there it’s worth it. He can explain later, when all of this is over.

He takes a deep breath and goes through the heat room protocols until he finds the one for outside communication, the one that is directly connected to the lab. He runs it and waits for the small ‘connected’ to appear on the screen. Then, he speaks.

“Peter?” Tony’s voice is gentle and calm, but it still makes the boy jump and look around almost in panic. He can see the fear on his face and it hurts.

“S-Sir!? I-I’m sorry!I didn’t… I just came because…”

“Shh, it’s okay, Peter. I’m not mad, I promise,” Tony says quietly, pinching his nose. Calm, he needs to stay calm. “But I need you to leave the lab, now.”

“I…” Peter stops suddenly, even in his sobs, and looks at the ceiling. “Can you… see me?”

“Yes and you shouldn’t be there, kid,” Tony sighs. God, why is it so hard to just talk to him?

“I promise I won’t break anything, sir, I-”

“Peter, stop!” Tony says strictly. “I told you it’s not about that. It’s… dangerous when you’re in the lab right now.”

Peter sniffs and shakes his head before wiping his eyes. He looks so crushed it makes Tony’s heart ache and he curses himself for not just locking the damn lab. Then again, he granted Peter access a while ago and even Friday wouldn’t have kept him out in this case. He’s going crazy, he just knows it. Why can’t the kid just leave?

“Pete, look, I-” Tony’s voice is cut off harshly when a stinging pain clutches around his insides and he throws himself forward with a low, desperate and painful groan. Fuck, no! This… this can’t be! Not yet! He still has an hour at least!

“Sir?” Peter’s worry is back, Tony can hear it in his voice without even seeing him and he pushes his chair back to get to the floor, almost curling himself up into a ball. “Sir, are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?”

“Peter, please just - Argh! Just… leave…” Tony can barely speak when it begins to feel like someone is trying to pull his insides out. It always starts painful, but it was never this bad, never this… intense and agonizing. And then he realizes without any surprise that this is his body’s way of reacting to an available Alpha just on the other side of the door.

“Sir, if I can do anything to help, I-” Peter’s voice trails off and Tony knows exactly why. It’s too late to hide it anymore. His hormones are through the roof, his heatwave is hitting him harder than ever before and Peter is too close, he’s just too fucking close.

Tony lets out an agonizing wail and clutches his stomach, rolling over to the side in a desperate attempt to not look at the monitors, but it’s completely useless. His eyes find them anyway and what he sees is just Peter standing there, with wide eyes and blown pupils, his mouth partially open and staring at the camera directly pointed at him on the ceiling.

“You’re in he-”

“SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF HERE!” Tony shouts, but his heart isn’t in it. He wants Peter to stay, fuck, he wants Peter to break down this damn door and knot him and make him scream and beg for more. God, he hates himself for being so weak, for not being able to control those damn instincts.

Tony knows that Peter won’t go anywhere now that he has smelled his heat - even older, more experienced Alphas wouldn’t be able to do that and Peter is still so young, he probably never had this happen to him before. It’s all so messed up, but Tony can’t stop it.

“Pete, just go! It only gets worse when I know you’re here, please just leave!”

And then he realizes his mistake, but it’s too late, the words are already out and Peter heard them, there’s no way he doesn’t know what this means.

“You… you want me to...?” Peter’s voice is surprised and fuck if it’s not aroused, which is far worse for Tony. He lets out another desperate groan and pushes himself off the floor, his legs so shaky he barely makes it to the bed before they give in.

“Fuck, Friday, open the door!” He cries out, palming his cock and trying to not acknowledge the wetness between his legs. His body is going wild just because Peter is there, screaming to be fucked and knotted and bred like he never experienced it before. It’s so horrible and humiliating, it drives tears into his eyes.

“I cannot do that, sir,” Friday says, sounding almost sorry. “My protocols won’t allow me to do that.”

“I’m your boss, I made you!” Tony growls furiously, glaring at the ceiling. “Open the fucking door!”

“I’m sorry, sir, I cannot do that.”

Tony wants to smash Friday into pieces for denying him access to the Alpha that is right there. Doesn’t she know how much he needs him? Doesn’t she know how painful it is to know Peter is right there and that he cannot get to him? He’s still growling and writhing on the bed, trying desperately to find a way to get out or to get Peter in, when he suddenly hears the Alpha’s voice again.

“Sir, you have to stop!” Peter sounds like he’s crying again and when Tony manages to glance over at the monitors, he sees the tears in the kid’s eyes and the sadness on his face. “Please, it’s okay…”

Tony knows it’s not okay, it can’t be as long as Peter is out there, so close and yet unreachable for him. He cries out desperately, burying his face in the pillow and only partially managing to muffle the desperation in his voice. “Friday, open… please open the door…”

“Sir, I… I can’t,” Friday sounds as if she wants to do it, but her protocols prevent her from following Tony’s order. It’s so frustrating.

“I will leave, okay?” Peter sobs suddenly and Tony’s attention is fully back on the monitors. The kid looks so devastated and heartbroken, it hurts to see. “Please, I’ll just go if it makes everything worse when I’m here!”

“NO!” Tony cries out without even knowing why - he wants Peter to leave, why won’t his brain deliver the words? “If you won’t open the door, Friday, I will make you open them!”

“Sir, what?” Peter asks, but Tony is already ripping his shirt off, asking himself why he even bothered to dress again after his shower.

“You have to open the doors for a medical emergency, I will give you one,” Tony growls as he grips the arc reactor in his chest harshly.

“Sir, NO!” Peter cries, but Tony barely hears him. He is too focused on this, his need is too strong. Friday has to open the doors if he has a heart attack, she just has to! And Peter can put the reactor back in if he’s fast enough, it can work, it just has to!

“I’ll make you open it, Friday,” Tony mumbles and then finally turns the reactor, letting out a deep groan at the immediate pain he feels in his chest. He can do it, it’s not the first time… he can do it without causing any harm… he can..

_“OMEGA, STOP!”_

Suddenly, Tony freezes completely. That voice… it’s an Alpha voice, loud and clear and so fucking close. During all those years, Tony never heard it in one of his heats and while he is able to ignore any Alpha voice on a day-to-day basis, right now his mind and body react on their own and he listens to it without any questioning.

“Sir… please don’t,” Peter continues, his voice now far less commanding and harsh, but Tony’s body was unable to process the change for the time being and stayed still. “I’ll stay here, okay? I… I can’t come in, but I’ll stay here if you want me to… just please don’t hurt yourself, please…”

After a long pause, Tony finally manages to swallow and, after screwing his reactor back in place - not without another unpleasant sting - he drops his hand. His breath goes horribly fast and he can’t ignore the pulling on his insides, but… Peter wants to stay. Does he mean it? How can Tony let him stay when he’s in this disgusting and horrible state? Somewhere between Peter’s Alpha voice and his almost shy words right after, Tony’s heat decided to spare him for a moment, giving him time to breathe.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Tony says, his breath still hitching and making his voice tremble.

“I… I don’t want to leave you alone,” Peter replies, still crying and embarrassed, but Tony can hear the suppressed need in his voice.

Tony can feel his own rise inside of him again already and he hates it, he hates it so much because Peter is listening and he can’t even get up to turn off the communication. He can’t have him witness this, it’s just too humiliating…

“Peter… you know what I am,” Tony finally says with a thick voice, pressing his legs together desperately. “You know what you are… if you stay, I… it won’t be pretty.”

“It’s okay, I… I still want to stay.” Peter sounds so sure, so absolutely committed to stay with Tony and it makes the Omega’s heart ache. How can Peter just accept this huge secret he’s trying to hide from everyone without judging him? How can he not just run - and probably tell everybody he meets because that’s essentially what Tony has been fearing all along?

Tony is torn. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t know what is the right thing to do and it frustrates him so much. He wants Peter to stay, but at the same time he doesn’t want him to hear the pitiful and desperate act that he is about to commit and won’t be able to stop.

“Will you… stay if I turn the communication off for some time?” he finally asks, his stomach tightening at the idea of shutting Peter out from his heat. But he has to, he knows it’s the only way he can keep at least some form of his dignity.

“I… I’ll be here,” Peter says after a moment, very quiet and very sad. “If you… need time for yourself… I will still stay. It’s okay, I promise.”

The relief Tony feels shouldn’t be so intense, but it is and he can’t do anything about it.

“I will be back in a bit, I just… need to get this over with,” he gulps and finally forces himself off the bed. It feels like he’s climbing a mountain when he makes his way to the desk and when he holds onto the surface, he looks at Peter’s sweet and innocent and oh so worried face on the monitor one last time before saying: “Thank you, Peter…” Then, he turns off the communication and lets out a deep sigh. This is it now… this is the ultimate test.

He knows what I’m going to do and he will leave, he just has to. He will smell my heat and he won’t be able to take it because he’s not used to it… when I turn the communication back on he will be gone and he probably won’t come back anymore.

But despite his fear, Tony’s instincts are too strong to ignore them for much longer. Only that this time, when he throws himself onto his bed and grabs one of the toys that have eased his urges through countless of heats, his mind isn’t set to the ultimate goal of relief. No, this time, Peter is on his mind and Tony can barely cope with how much he wants the kid to be there with him, to give him what everything in his body and mind crave for so badly, no matter how wrong it is.

It’s an hour before Tony finally manages to find the release his body has been aching for so much and when he drags himself towards the shower, he just feels like falling asleep from exhaustion. Three or four waves a day are nothing uncommon during his heat, but usually he can just sleep whenever he wants to. Now, however, Peter is out there - at least he hopes he still is - and he promised to come back… he can’t just fall asleep for several hours, he can’t.

Tony’s heart is heavy when he sits back down on his desk finally. What if Peter left and he’s just going to look at an empty lab? He knows he should expect it, but the thought still hurts him deep inside. When he finally reaches out for his keyboard and runs the communication protocols again - including the camera feed - his heart is almost jumping out of his chest.

It takes an awfully long minute before the screen flickers and Tony can see the camera feed again and his heart makes a small jump when he spots Peter. He’s still there, he didn’t leave! He sits on one of the chairs, DUM-E next to him and a holo screen above his lap, apparently reading or looking at something. Tony can’t do anything other than watch the kid for a moment, wondering why he ever doubted him in the first place.

Peter is concentrating on what he reads, something that Tony could pull up on his screen but doesn’t because it just isn’t relevant to his interest at the moment, and when the Omega’s voice comes over the speakers again, Peter only flinches slightly because of the surprise. He immediately looks up though, a bright smile on his lips.

“Sir? Are you okay?” Peter asks worried and Tony really just wants to hug and kiss him for his wonderful sweetness.

“I’m okay, yes,” he says, chuckling. “What are you doing over there?”

At that, Peter flushes and quickly lets the holo display disappear before smiling at the camera. “Just some research, nothing important,” he replies.

Tony smirks, he can’t help it. He could easily ask Friday what Peter looked at and the kid knows that too, but he doesn’t. Right now he’s in this rather calm mindset between his heats and this time, he’s not completely alone. Peter is there, someone he likes and he can talk to, and he doesn’t want to argue.

“Talk to me, kid,” he says instead, sprawling in his chair and trying to somehow relax after all of this. Having someone else there during his heats is… unfamiliar. But it doesn’t feel all bad for some reason. Maybe it’s because it’s Peter or maybe it’s because he’s so utterly relieved that Peter isn’t running away from him.

And talking is pretty much what they do over the hours that follow, as weird as it might seem.

There is something so relieving about Peter knowing and not judging him that helps Tony let go of at least a little bit of his fear regarding company during this time. And it’s not unpleasant at all. Tony feared they might just be talking about his heat, but that isn’t even a topic to begin with. Peter starts talking about school and Tony jumps in, relieved  that it’s not about him right away.

Tony never experienced a heat like this. When his third wave of the day is about to hit, he lets Peter know soon enough to cut the communication off until it’s over, only later finding out Peter used the time to get himself something to eat and drink and a little to not be too overwhelmed by the scent of it. Tony is unreasonably touched when Peter tells him and doesn’t even know what to say to it.

Whenever his heatwaves aren’t torturing Tony, Peter is there, sitting with his back against the door - Tony assumes Friday told him where exactly it is but he can’t rule out that Peter found it on his own. And they talk, they talk so much, about basically everything. About school, about projects, sometimes about more personal things. When the topic draws towards Tony being an Omega, Tony is hesitant at first, but it comes easy telling Peter about it. Maybe because of the physical distance forced onto them, he doesn’t know, but it turns out to be rather relieving eventually.

When it becomes late, Tony asks Peter if he’d rather leave to actually go sleep in a bed, but the kid refuses. “I promised I’ll stay with you and I will,” he says and gets up to collect the blankets and pillows from the lounge area of the lab. There are not many, but they are enough so Peter can cuddle into one of the blankets and lean against the door. “Do you mind if I sleep here?”

Tony’s heart feels so full at the question and he’s glad Peter can’t see the smile on his face. “Of course not,” he says softly. “Are you comfortable like this?”

Peter nods, smiling at the camera. “As comfortable as I can be,” he says and lays down, wrapping the blanket around him. Tony is tired himself, but he doesn’t lay down before he knows Peter is asleep. Only then he crawls into bed, closing his eyes and allowing himself some rest too.

It’s three days they spend this way, mostly talking and even joking, unless one of Tony’s heatwaves hits him and he cuts the connection off. Until the last day, when he sits in front of the door himself, completely forgetting what’s about to happen soon. When he’s hit with the oh so familiar cramps that introduces another cycle, it hits him by surprise and he rolls over once more, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain. By now, Peter knows what’s going on and he jumps into action immediately.

“Omega, it’s alright,” the boy says quietly, his voice so close even though Tony can only hear it through the speakers that it already has a slightly calming effect on him. “You’re not alone, okay? I’m here, I’m with you…”

Tony lets out a desperate growl and throws himself against the door, knowing full well that there are only inches separating him from Peter and still being unable to reach him. For the first time, he doesn’t think about turning the communication off, without even knowing why.

“I wish you’d be here, Pete,” he sighs, one hand still pressing against his stomach and pressing his fingers harshly against his skin. “You must think so low of me by now, but I… I’m glad you’re with me…”

“I would never think bad of you, Tony,” Peter assures him, the use of his first name making the Omega smirk weakly. It’s the first time the kid does it, before this moment he was unable to shake off the ‘sir’ or ‘Mr. Stark’ - not that Tony minds, but his first name has something more… personal somehow. “You can talk to me if you need to, I’m here…”

“Pete…” Tony swallows and turns to his side, taking a deep breath to somehow keep the pain under control. It would be better to turn the communication off, he knows that. Anything else will just make it worse. But he wants to hear Peter, he wants to know he’s there, even if what’s going to happen is embarrassing.

“I won’t go anywhere, I promised,” Peter says and Tony can see him press one of his hands against the door that separates them. With a tear escaping his eyes, Tony presses his hand against the same spot, leaning his head against the metal. He knows Peter can’t feel it, but the illusion that they are almost touching is… soothing somehow.

And Peter keeps his promise, through all of it. When Tony is begging, the boy is there, talking him through it, promising that it will be over soon and that he will stay with him, when Tony is easing his need with the toys he built, Peter is there and doesn't judge, instead actually begins talking to him and indulging in Tony's heat induced fantasy of having him.

Even when Tony can't prevent the sobs afterwards, pressing a hand against his eyes and cursing his entire existence, Peter doesn't go anywhere and he doesn't laugh, he doesn't tell him that he's as worthless as he feels. Instead, he tells him that he's strong and amazing, that he doesn't see him as any less, that he's right just the way he is and it's the first time anyone ever says such things to Tony, which makes him even more emotional even though he absolutely hates it.

When it's over, they don't talk about it again. Tony is so clearly uncomfortable about the whole thing and Peter doesn't push him, doesn't ask questions. He simply returns to the conversation they had before it started, as if nothing had interrupted them. Tony doesn't know how he can ever thank Peter for this and during the conversation that follows, in which he sits with his back against the door again, he has several moments where he has to force himself to not cry.

Tony doesn't know what happened, why he can barely contain his emotions anymore. He didn't think Peter would be so accepting and sweet, that he would actually stay and not just run. And now, after three days of spending so close together, without even actually seeing each other, everything feels so confusing and overwhelming. It's just… so much.

That evening, after Peter had curled up against the door once more, Tony couldn't find any sleep. His heat will be over in a few hours and he doesn't know what he's supposed to do then. As long as they are separated like this, it all feels surreal, a bit like a dream. But, once the doors will open, everything is going to be real, everything that happened they will have to face somehow and he doesn't know how he will do it. Or if he even can...

“Sir, Peter has fallen asleep,” Friday informs him and Tony nods, but unlike the nights before, he doesn't stand up to get to bed.

“Friday… Peter is the first one in 25 years to find out I am not an Alpha…” Tony says quietly after a while, without looking up. “I have no idea what to say when we see each other again face to face…”

“May I suggest not saying anything, sir?” Friday says calmly, as if to not upset Tony. “Peter doesn't seem to mind that you are an Omega, he has gone through a lot to spend the last few days with you. Someone you would not be important to would not have done that.”

“He cares about me, I know, but how can he still see me the way he did before after knowing this? How can he still look up to me?”

“I suggest just being yourself, sir, like you always were with him. This doesn't have to stand between you, not if you won't let it.”

Friday is right, Tony thinks and sighs, leaning his head against the door. Maybe he's overthinking all of this. Maybe Peter truly doesn't think lower of him for being an Omega. That doesn't mean he won't do it because Tony has lied to everyone his whole life, but perhaps he will understand. God, Tony hopes he will understand…

Tony doesn't notice that he eventually falls asleep like this, his mind still circling around Peter and this whole mess. He's woken up when the door suddenly unlocks - it's a sound he usually anticipates and that now sends a cold shiver down his spine. Tony immediately gets up, ignoring that every muscle in his body feels sore and tense, and looks at the monitors. Peter is still asleep in front of the door, the noise didn't wake him up.

Normally, Tony would storm out of the room to dive back into his freedom, but now he carefully opens it instead to not wake Peter and when he sees the kid sleeping peacefully, he can't suppress the smile that creeps onto his lips. He's so innocent and sweet, he can barely believe this kid is an Alpha.

 _But he is,_ his mind insists, as if to tease him. _He is and you just spent your heat with him, even if it wasn't physically._

Tony swallows and shakes his head. He knows that, but that doesn't change that Peter needs a comfortable bed, not the lab floor for the fourth night in a row. He already feels bad enough for the first three, really.

As careful as possible, Tony kneels down and shoves his hands under the boy to pick him up, without waking him. The blanket is still wrapped tight around him and when Tony manages to stand again, he realizes how small Peter actually looks in his arms, all curled up like this. He leans down and presses a soft kiss onto his forehead before making his way out of the lab, towards the elevator. Maybe it's not his best idea, but Peter deserves a good night's rest after all he went through and Tony knows his own bed will help with that.

On their way up to the penthouse, Peter suddenly begins to shift in his arms and eventually looks up at Tony. He's barely awake, but he registers where he is and smiles when he sees Tony carrying him.

“Omega…” he whispers before snuggling against his chest again and Tony has the strong urge to never let him go again.

Tony carries Peter all the way to his bedroom, where he puts him down gently and covers him with his own blanket to keep him warm. Then, against his better judgement, he crawls into the bed behind Peter and wraps his arms around him, only using his own blanket to cover himself and leaving Peter's as a thin layer of safety between them. He knows sometimes after his heat he is still very needy, so he wants to be sure to not do anything dumb or inappropriate with the kid in this state.

\-----

It's only a few hours of sleep they get this way, but throughout the rest of the night, Peter doesn't move away from Tony at all. He's still cuddled against him in the morning with Tony's arms around him, holding him tight. It's Tony who wakes up first and it's him who breaks the embrace carefully, knowing that whatever happened during his heat needs to be treated as that, unless Peter decides otherwise. Dumb decisions are made during heats and ruts, that's the most common knowledge and Tony won't make those mistakes. He already made too many.

Tony wraps the blanket tight around Peter again before leaving, fighting his internal need for comfort and warmth that always comes after a heat. It's nothing he wouldn't be used to dealing with alone and he can't drag Peter even deeper into this than he already has. So, to distract himself, he decides to make breakfast. During the last days he mostly lived off of frozen meals for one and snacks, he needs something real again.

Half an hour later the smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the kitchen and there are omelettes and waffles on the table, as well as fresh strawberries that had been delivered the day before. When Peter stumbles out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes sleepily and yawning, he finds Tony still in the kitchen.

“Is that… bacon?” Peter asks hopefully and Tony can't help but laugh at the unusual way of greeting him.

“Bacon and eggs and coffee, we have some waffles too if you want them.”

Peter still looks at Tony with wide eyes when he sits down and watches him come over too, a plate of bacon in his hands.

“I… I didn't know you could… cook,” Peter says embarrassed, causing Tony to laugh again.

“I usually don't brag with it, it's not really something people expect from an Alpha,” he says with a shrug and gets himself some of the omelette and bacon. “But I get along. Try the eggs before they're cold if you want to, they're what usually turns out best.”

Peter nods and puts some of the omelette onto his plate too and after debating for a moment adds a few strips of bacon on top of them. Then, he reaches for the strawberries, which makes Tony smile for some reason.

“What's so funny?” he asks curiously.

“Nothing,” Tony chuckles and takes a sip from his coffee. “I just always have the urge for these things after a heat, I don't know why.”

Peter bites the tip off his strawberry, wiping his chin when some of the juice runs down his lips. “They're good,” he says, smiling, and only now noticing the way Tony is looking at him. As if he was caught red handed, Tony shakes his head quickly, taking a bite of his eggs. His cheeks are slightly pink and Peter feels a sudden pit in his stomach.

“I won't tell anyone, you know,” Peter says quietly after a while, without looking up. He knows that this is a topic Tony doesn't want to talk about but it feels necessary that they address it. “I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble and for making you angry…”

Tony swallows his bacon down and looks at Peter, who appears so much smaller than he actually is with his bowed head and hanging shoulders. He feels awful for the guilt he caused in the boy with his own fear.

“I wasn't angry at you, Pete,” Tony finally sighs, putting his fork down. His hunger disappeared somehow. “You just happened to sniff through a bluff that lasted 25 years and I… kind of panicked.”

Peter gulps and his cheeks flush harder. “I… I didn't mean to, really. I should have just stayed quiet.”

“It's not your fault, don't work yourself up over it,” Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Sooner or later someone had to find out, I'm just glad it was you and not Steve or Bruce. I'd never hear the end of it.”

Peter isn't sure what to say to that and shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “I… I won't tell anyone,” he repeats eventually, just to make sure Tony knows he won't. “I don't mind, really, you're still… you, after all.”

“I wish everyone would think like that,” Tony smiles and takes one of Peter's hands over the table, squeezing it gently. “I'm sorry I yelled at you, that was really not the right way to go about it.”

“Are you… mad that I didn't listen to you? That I came into the lab after you told me not to?”

Tony shakes his head, still smiling. “I know you didn't do it to spite me and you didn't know why I told you to stay away, it's okay, really.”

There's a long silence between them in which neither of them does anything, not even eat, and Tony knows this isn't over yet. There are other things Peter wants to ask, things he doesn't want to talk about but knows he has to.

“Were you really about to hurt yourself just so Friday would open the door?”

Damn, Peter asks one of the worst questions right away, he doesn't dance around the bush.

“You could say I was a bit… overwhelmed by your presence,” Tony admits with a smirk. “I stay away from Alphas during my heat, it's just too dangerous if I don't. Had you not stopped me… you would have either found me dying of a heart attack or making you take and knot me. It's not pretty and I wish you wouldn't have witnessed any of this, believe me.”

Tony looks ashamed and he feels the part too. He remembers how he had begged Friday to open the doors, how he was willing to risk his own life just for Peter's knot. It's just embarrassing how little control he had left during his heat. And Peter experienced everything, which makes it about ten times worse.

“What… what were you trying to do?” Peter asks carefully, as if he's afraid of the answer. Tony sighs and pushes his shirt up, taking his arc reactor into his hand and twisting it. “Oh God no, stop!” Peter protests immediately, jumping up with fear wide eyes.

“Don't worry, nothing can happen yet,” Tony says calmly and gives the kid a patient smile. “This is how far I got. You stopped me from pulling the plug, basically.” He lets out a half amused, half bitter laugh and screws the reactor back in before pulling his shirt down again. “It's kind of deadly to remove the reactor for too long.”

“Don't… don't do that again, please,” Peter gulps, his hands shaking when he sits back down. “Did you... really want it that much?”

Tony nods, anything but proud of it. “Heats are no child's play, kid,” Tony says with a hint of bitterness in his voice and looks at him. “They make people dumb and reckless, just like ruts. Omegas have thrown themselves off buildings or in front of cars during their heats, it's literally shutting parts of their brains off at times.”

“Is that why you lock yourself away?”

“Partially. I also do it because I live in a tower full of Alphas and it's not a good idea to go into heat around them.” Tony gives Peter a smirk before continuing. “It can turn Alphas into beasts when they're faced with it directly. Tends to give them all kinds of filthy ideas.”

Peter blushes hard and turns his head in an attempt to hide it, but of course Tony saw it already. “It must be… difficult to not let anyone know…” he mumbles.

“I’ve been doing it for quite some time now, I just didn't expect someone to just show up and literally smell through it like you did,” Tony shrugs. Of course it's not fun pretending to be an Alpha, but it's easier than the other option he has.

“I'm sorry you have to do this…” Peter's voice is quiet and something about it makes Tony's chest ache. He has been around countless of Alphas, but none of them were ever like this kid. Something about Peter is different and Tony can't ignore that he likes that. A lot more than he should.

“You know, if all Alphas were a bit more like you, I wouldn't have to hide what I am,” Tony says softly and smiles, shaking his head. “But as it is, it's just easier this way.”

Peter nods, but doesn't say anything to that. He looks uncomfortable, as if he'd rather be elsewhere and Tony doesn't know if he wants the kid leave or stay. Peter is nice company, they got to know each other much better over the last days, but he can't let this progress even if he clearly wants to.

“I'm glad you stayed with me over the last days, Peter,” Tony finally says and he actually means it. “I'm sorry for… pulling you into this, but I enjoyed your company a lot.”

“I enjoyed yours too,” Peter mumbles and turns back to the table. He takes his coffee, which is now cold, and drinks it with a stern face. When he puts the mug back down Tony notices the tremble of his fingers against the porcelain. “And thank you for getting me into a real bed…”

Tony wants to hug Peter so much and preferably never stop. He reaches out with his foot under the table, rubbing his ankle against Peter's leg carefully. The boy flinches for a moment, but then relaxes again and actually presses his leg against the touch.

“If you… want me to keep you company again, I… I don't mind, really,” Peter says after a while, looking at his plate of cold food. “I don't know, maybe we can… work together when it's not that bad. To distract you.”

Tony should say no and that Peter is crazy for even suggesting this, but he doesn't. He wonders if he could risk it, if he can trust himself and Peter enough to actually be around him during his heat. He could still retreat to his heat room when a wave hits him, he just needs to change some of Friday's protocols so he can open the door at will. It's dangerous, it's reckless and dumb, all the things Tony tries so hard not to be during his heat, but when he looks at Peter, he feels like it's worth trying.

“It's okay if you don't want to, I understand,” Peter says when Tony doesn't answer for a while and shakes his head. “It's probably not a good idea, to be around me, I mean.”

“I've never been with an Alpha during my heats, Peter, this… this isn't an easy decision for me,” Tony admits, taking one of Peter's hands again to squeeze it. “Give me some time to think about it, okay?”

Peter gives him a thankful and weak smile and nods, squeezing his hand back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes some time for Tony to make a decision and when his next heat finally comes up, he's not sure what to expect. In the end, it doesn't matter anyway, because nothing could have prepared him for what happens anyway and he realizes quickly that this is more than what it should be.

It's a week before Tony finally makes a decision. Despite all that can go wrong, he wants to give it a try. He sits down with Peter one evening to talk it through, to make sure he knows that they have to be careful and that Tony will leave during his heat waves so nothing bad happens. It's risky, yes, but Tony trusts Peter and his company made the time down there bearable.

They still have time and Tony uses it to make sure Peter won't have to sleep on the floor again - he upgrades the lounge area with a new couch that is big enough and can be extended into a bed to comfortably sleep on - and that he can get out of his heat room before his heat ends. He adds a protocol for Peter, giving him the authority to open the door, which is both a sign of trust and a test to see if Peter will keep his word to not come in during Tony's waves. 

Tony is nervous, despite all the security measures and preparations. He just can't shake it off, after all, this is the first heat he is going to willingly spend around an Alpha. One that he trusts and likes a lot, but Peter is still an Alpha, no matter how he twists and turns it. There's nothing he can do about his internalized fear of things going wrong. 

His experiences with Alphas so far haven’t been pretty and it’s something that he has some trouble coping with. The only reason he manages to not panic is Peter. Peter, who still looks at him the same way he did before he found out, who still laughs and jokes with him and who doesn’t treat him any different than he did in the past. It gives him hope that he’s making the right decision.

In the weeks leading up to his next heat, Tony spends a lot of time with Peter. Sometimes he keeps the kid company during his patrols, then they usually take a break on top of a skyscraper, eating pizza and talking about God and the world and anything that comes to their minds. After what happened it’s easy opening up to Peter and apparently it’s the same way for the kid too. He tells Tony about his parents and Tony does the same, finally revealing part of why he is so determined to make everyone believe he’s an Alpha. Peter doesn’t judge him, just gives him a hug when he’s done speaking and Tony is utterly thankful for it.

The other Avengers don’t mind Peter being around more often and they don’t suspect anything, which shows Tony that the kid didn’t tell anyone about his big secret. And after some time, they grow physically closer too. Not much, but it’s a start. There are cautious touches - a brush of hands, Tony ruffling Peter’s hair, their feet against the other’s under the table - and there are these gentle smiles when they think the other isn’t looking. Tony never really experienced this kind of thing, but he has a feeling that he knows what it is. He’s falling for the kid and the realization doesn't come without a certain dread and fear.

Peter is still in school when Tony feels his heat coming up, which is good because it means he won’t have to leave him alone while he takes care of the first wave. It’s usually the hardest and it makes things a bit easier to cope with. Before he goes into the heat room he texts Peter, vaguely in case someone sees the message.

_ [I’m on my way down. Take care of school, maybe we can order pizza tonight while we work.] _

It doesn’t take long before Peter texts back and the fast reaction makes Tony smile.

_ [How do you feel? Will you be okay?] _

_ [Of course, kid. This isn’t my first rodeo. See you later, gotta go.] _

_ [Can’t wait to come over.] _

Tony grins and shakes his head before putting his phone back into his pocket. Peter doesn’t mean it in a dirty way, he knows that, but a small part of his brain - probably the one influenced by his heat - insists that it would be nice if he did. 

The next two hours, Tony spends taking care of his urges, Peter not once leaving his mind. During this time it doesn’t feel weird thinking about him, it makes it easier and Tony is losing himself in those thoughts and fantasies. They are not there yet and he’s not sure if they’ll ever get to this point, but it doesn’t matter. Peter will come over soon and he will be able to spend time with him, that’s all he really cares about.

An hour after the first wave is over and he showered, Tony is sitting in his lab, going through calculations for one of his suit’s weapon systems they are working on upgrading. He can smell Peter before he even sees him and turns around, smiling. Much to his surprise, the kid doesn’t just walk in, but actually comes running and throws himself into Tony’s arms to hug him really tight.

“Slow, kid,” Tony laughs, squeezing Peter tight before letting go again. “We have a few days, no need to throw yourself at me already.”

At this, Peter blushes, but he can’t hide the chuckle. “Sorry, I was running all the way here and was a bit… overwhelmed,” he says and smiles at Tony. “Everything okay with you?”

“Never felt better,” Tony replies and pats the spot on the bench next to him. He really feels so much better than during any of his other heats and it gets even more obvious when Peter leans against him and sighs happily. “What’s wrong, kid? Hard day at school?”

“No, it’s not that,” Peter says quietly and shakes his head. “You smell nice, that’s all…”

Now it’s Tony’s turn to blush, but Peter’s words are utterly sweet and heartwarming. He wraps his arm around the kid and presses a kiss onto his head. “You don’t smell bad either, you know,” he smirks and ruffles Peter’s hair. “I’m glad you’re here, really.”

“Me too,” Peter smiles happily.

They have a few hours before Tony’s next wave will hit and it’s really nice spending the time with Peter. Despite the fact the kid can smell his heat, he doesn’t try anything, which is pretty much what Tony feared in the beginning. The only thing Peter actually does is seeking Tony’s presence and that’s actually quite nice and comforting. For a while they work on Tony’s suit and talk about upgrading Peter’s, almost the same way they normally would, except that Peter is now a bit closer to Tony, having his shoulder against him or leans his head against his arm as he watches him work. Tony likes it more than he expected he would.

When his next wave announces itself - with the usual cramps, now surprisingly light compared to the last time - Tony is nervous, but tells Peter nonetheless. This time, the kid will be in charge of opening the door and if Peter loses his patience, things can go very wrong because Friday  _ will  _ open it, whether or not Tony’s wave is over. He squeezes Peter’s shoulder and presses a kiss onto his cheek before he stands up.

“I trust you, Pete,” Tony says with a smile and brushes his hand through Peter’s hair. “If you want to, you can ask Friday to order pizza in an hour or so. Ask her to order from the usual place, it gets paid right away, you just have to pick it up. She will tell you when it’s here.”

“Do you want something special on it?” Peter asks and looks up, a hint of pride on his face over given this much responsibility. Tony can’t help but find it endearing.

“Keep the onions off, otherwise pick whatever you like,” he says and then Peter is alone for an hour, while Tony nervously takes care of his business.

Tony expects the door to open any time. Peter not becoming weak at the extreme smell of his heat is just too good to be true, right? But the kid surprises him again because he doesn’t come in, he doesn’t ask Friday to open the door and he when Tony finally tells Peter to open it - when Peter is there Tony cannot do it himself, that’s how he programmed Friday so that he doesn't blow it up - Peter does so in a heartbeat. Tony wastes no time and pulls the kid into his arms, lifting him up and hugging him as tight as possible.

Peter ordered the pizza, as Tony told him to, and his timing was perfect because it arrived just minutes before Tony asked him to open the door. The smell reminds Tony of just how hungry he is and Peter looks utterly happy when he’s let down again and they walk over to the lounge area together.

“I didn’t know what you wanted, so I got a four cheese pizza and one with pepperoni. Is that okay?” Peter asks when he sits down and opens the boxes on the table and Tony actually laughs out loud.

“I would eat a horse if had you ordered one, kid,” he grins and reaches for a slice of the pepperoni pizza. “But this works just as well, you did a great job.”

Peter smiles and takes a slice of the cheese pizza himself, scooting closer to Tony again. Then, much to Tony’s surprise and shock, Peter leans up and presses a kiss onto his cheek. He turns his head, still smiling.

“What was that for?” he asks, honestly curious because this usually isn’t what Peter does.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Peter says, a hint of pink on his cheeks, shrugging. “I missed you.”

God, why does this kid make him feel so weak and warm inside? Tony isn’t used to this, to having feelings for an Alpha, especially not those he knows he shouldn’t have. He leans down and returns the kiss just the same in the end because he can’t help it.

“I missed you too, kid,” he says quietly.

It’s strange, but Tony really missed the kid. And, now that they sit together and eat and chat, he realizes that it was for more than just the knot his body was aching for so much. Peter’s presence in general just… makes him happy somehow. It’s the first time an Alpha gives him the feeling of comfort and safety, which is strange enough already, but it’s not bothering Tony at all either. Even now, in this time of his cycle where he is the most vulnerable and exposed, Peter doesn’t make him feel threatened or comes off demanding in any way.

Tony knows there is one more wave waiting for him today at least, usually it happens in the evening and after that he is ready to fall comatose on his bed. After having pizza, neither of them feels like working anymore and Peter mentions he still needs to finish some maths homework, which for some reason amuses Tony.

“I thought you enjoyed maths?” he teases and Peter chuckles, pinching Tony’s arm.

“I do!” he says with a cheeky grin. “But I didn’t have time for it anymore before it was time to order pizza, there was still an essay I had to finish.”

“Busy kid, I see,” Tony smiles and shakes his head. “Want me to look over the math stuff with you?”

“Oh, please,” Peter huffs and rolls his eyes, pushing the pizza boxes away a little so he has room to put down his homework. “I bet I’m twice as fast at solving all of these than you are.”

“Are you challenging me?” Tony asks and raises a brow. He doesn’t know why this amuses him so much, but the kid seems to be thinking the same as him.

“Maybe?” Peter asks cheekily and Tony grins. “What do I get if I win?”

“How about a kiss?”

Peter’s face makes a full 180 and instead of grinning, his eyes widen and his jaw drops. After a moment he closes his mouth again with a click and swallows.

“You already lost,” Peter says eventually and everything about the way his voice sounds makes it clear that he is not ready to lose this little challenge. Tony laughs at his eager and takes the sheet of paper from him to have Friday scan it.

“Let’s make it fair then. No writing, we solve it like professionals,” Tony winks at him, not even a minute later having the whole thing on a holo screen in front of him. He sends the document over to the one Peter opened. “Ready?” he asks and Peter nods, cheeks flushing pink and eyes as determined as never before. “Alright, let’s go then.”

Peter’s eyes fly over the screen, taking in as much information as they can as fast as possible. He needs to win this, Tony can see it when he glances up for a moment and it’s both amusing and really cute. The formulas aren’t the easiest, but they have both solved much more complicated ones, even together, so the whole challenge doesn’t take long. Tony is about to type in the last three digits, convinced he is easily winning this, when he suddenly hears an explosion of a cheer.

“FIRST, YES! I GOT IT!” Peter’s eyes sparkle so much, Tony is surprised he doesn't go up in flames. He stops putting in his own answer with two digits left and walks over to look at Peter’s screen. It’s not surprising that the kid solved everything correctly, what is surprising, though, is that he was actually faster than Tony.

Tony leans back, huffing in appreciation and trailing his fingers over his beard. The kid really did it, he’s actually impressed. He probably shouldn’t have wasted time watching Peter, otherwise he might have won, but that’s not really changing anything now. One look at the kid makes it clear that he has to live up to the deal now.

“You actually did it,” Tony smirks as he locks eyes with Peter and damn, he could swear he has never seen the kid so proud and excited.

“Do I get my prize now?” Peter asks and Tony can’t help but laugh again. 

How can it sound so innocent and cute when Peter asks for this? How is it possible that Tony is actually excited himself to give him what he promised? He doesn’t know and he doesn’t really feel like asking either. Instead, he smiles and cups the boy’s cheek with one hand, brushing his thumb over the smooth skin.

“I promised, didn’t I?” Tony asks, leaning a bit closer. “And you definitely earned your reward.”

And then, neither of them is able to think or speak anymore because Tony’s lips are on Peter’s and words become something that doesn’t exist anymore. In all his years, Tony has kissed countless of people, Alphas, Omegas, even Betas, but not a single one made him feel even remotely like Peter does. It’s nothing he can put into words, it’s just… unique.

Peter is so shy, barely moving and God, his lips are so incredibly soft, Tony doesn’t think he ever kissed someone like this. After a moment, Tony moves a little closer and rests his hand on Peter’s hip, their lips pressing together just a bit more and it feels even better when he sees Peter’s eyes flutter shut. He closes his own too, a moment later noticing Peter relax and lean against him and it makes his heart beat just a little faster.

It’s not a deep kiss, it’s careful and cautious and since it’s their first, Tony doesn’t push anything. He enjoys it nonetheless and when they finally part again, Peter’s cheeks have a beautiful shade of pink and he has trouble opening his eyes again. Tony can’t really look away for a moment, the kid’s face just too sweet and pretty to look at.

“Worth the effort?” Tony asks after a minute and he notices Peter’s lip twitch.

“So worth it,” he sighs, not even noticing that his cheeks flush even more. “I’d challenge you over all my math homework if that’s what I get in return.”

Tony shouldn’t be as amused and flattered as he is, but Peter makes it so eerily easy to let these feelings in. He leans forward again, nuzzling his nose against Peter’s and smiles softly. “Ask me again with the next ones you get, maybe I can restore my pride and be faster than you.”

Peter chuckles at that and Tony pulls back. Then, Peter suddenly leans against Tony’s chest, head against his shoulder and smiles contently, without saying anything. Tony is surprised at that, but it feels nice and after a moment, he wraps his arms around the boy and just holds him like this for a while. He leans back against the couch when Peter doesn’t seem to want to move and closes his eyes for a bit, asking himself why it doesn’t make him want to run when Peter is so close to him. Even on normal days it’s hard for him to be physically close with someone, but not with the kid. Never with him.

“That felt nice,” Peter says at one point, his voice sounding so shy it’s almost a whisper. Tony smiles and runs his fingers through the boy’s hair slowly.

“It did,” he sighs, not without thinking back to how soft Peter had felt against him. “Next time I’ll get the reward though. No way I can let you beat me twice in a row.”

They stay like this for a while, without really talking, and it’s actually very comfortable. Tony asks if Peter wants to watch a movie after around half an hour and the boy nods, cuddling against him even more. “I’m fine with anything,” he mumbles and Tony has a feeling that Peter doesn’t care if they’re watching a movie or not. He looks so relaxed like this, just holding Tony, and it’s the sweetest thing the Omega has ever seen. He leans down to press a kiss onto Peter’s head, smiling.

“You are the sweetest Alpha I have ever met,” he chuckles and ruffles the boy’s hair. “Don’t ever change, please. You will make a very lucky Omega so happy one day.”

Those words feel like Tony just stabbed himself in the chest. He had wanted to say ‘me’ so badly, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Peter is the perfect Alpha, he’s sweet and kind and understanding and they get along better than Tony ever got along with anyone else, he doesn’t want to see another Omega take him, not now and not in twenty years. As selfish as it is, Tony wants Peter for himself, even though he knows that’s probably the worst thing he could do to the kid.

Now that he said those words though, he can't stop thinking about them. About the inevitable day that Peter will come to the lab, all excited and with sparkling eyes, telling him he found an Omega he likes a lot, one that is smart and pretty and young and that he wants to be with. And Tony will smile because Peter is happy, but on the inside it will feel like he's dying.

It won't take long before Peter will spend less and less time in the lab with him either. Instead of coming almost daily, it will be a few times a week, then twice, then only once until, eventually, he will stop coming altogether. Because Peter found happiness, he found an Omega that deserves him and Tony won't run after him because the last thing he wants is to destroy Peter's happiness.

In the end he will be alone again, alone in a world of Alphas who would never accept him the way he truly is. In a world without Peter's smile or his laugh, a world without Peter himself. He won't be able to do anything but drown in his grief and mourn the only Alpha he ever wanted, the only Alpha he ever felt connected with. It will be a cold life without him, Tony knows that and it already hurts, even though he still holds Peter against his chest...

“Tony?” Peter suddenly asks and Tony freezes, harshly ripped out of his personal nightmare. He only now realizes that he still has his face pressed against Peter’s head and that he’s crying while his mind decided to torture him. Fuck, this is embarrassing. Tony quickly pulls back and wipes his eyes, shaking his head.

“Sorry, I… I guess I’m getting close to the next wave.” It’s a weak excuse and Peter can’t possibly buy it, but Tony can’t tell him the truth, it’s just not right. As sweet and nice as it is to have Peter with him and to be close to him, this simply cannot last and he can’t destroy the kid’s life just because he’s getting his head into this too much. He knows that even kissing Peter was wrong, that he pulled him into something that will ultimately go bad, but fuck, it had felt so nice. He had to do it at least this one time. “I should retreat for now… maybe we can watch the movie later.”

“O-Okay,” Peter says quietly and pushes himself up. Tony makes the mistake of looking at him and the sadness on the boy’s face makes his heart ache.

“I’m sorry, Pete, I… I really don’t feel too well,” he quickly says, trying to give the kid a reassuring smile that’s way too shaky to come off as sincere. Then, he leans forward and presses a kiss onto Peter’s cheek. “It will be better afterwards, I’m sure of that. Then we can watch a movie, okay? You can pick one out while I’m gone.”

It’s not even been two hours since his last wave, but Tony retreats into his heat room anyway. He needs to be alone right now, he needs to calm down and stop this toxic and horrible idea of keeping Peter and of being with him. It’s wrong and it’s bad and he can’t keep going like this. He won’t only destroy their entire relationship with this, he will also ruin the kid’s future and possibly his wonderful nature along with it. He can’t do that, he can’t.

Tony tries hard not to think about Peter until his wave finally comes, but when it happens, he simply can’t stop it anymore. It’s the first time he actually cries during the whole thing, even more disgusted with himself than he ever was before. He takes his fake knot three times in a row and it still feels like it’s not what he actually needs and wants, even if his body disagrees with him. It’s wrong in so many ways, fuck, in every way imaginable, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting it. From wanting Peter.

By the time Tony finally makes it to the shower, he knows he looks like an absolute mess and he feels the part too. He just lets the hot water run over his body, so hot it almost burns his skin and leaves it red all over, but it doesn’t help get rid of the dirty feeling he has. This kind of dirt cannot be washed away, no matter how much he tries. He takes much longer than usual to clean himself and to get dressed again, but one glance into the mirror - why the hell did he even put one in here? - is enough to tell him he doesn’t look any better than he did before showering. But he can’t stay any longer, Peter is waiting for him, or… he hopes he’s waiting at least.

“Peter?” Tony asks carefully over the communication system, not expecting an answer. And for a moment, it stays just as quiet as he feared it would be and his heart drops. But then, the door opens, without Peter replying and he frowns confused.

Peter is still there, sitting at his work desk. He’s doing something on the holo screen and Tony figures he’s just too focused to bother answering, so he leaves him alone for the time being. It’s fine if Peter is occupied, then he won’t see Tony’s red eyes and how damn tired he is at least. Tony walks back over to the lounge area and grabs a cold piece of pizza before sitting back down, rubbing his forehead. God, his head hurts like a bitch, this clearly isn’t going to get better on its own.

“Friday, do we still have painkillers somewhere around?” he asks with a groan and leans back.

“I’m afraid not, sir,” Friday replies. “You didn’t restock any over the last week.”

“Fuck,” Tony groans and closes his eyes. If he can’t kill this headache now, it will be a nightmare in an hour. And why is it so warm suddenly?“Anything to drink around maybe?”

Suddenly, someone presses a hand against Tony’s head and he flinches slightly. He forces his eyes open, meeting the kid’s.

“You’re hot,” Peter says and Tony lets out a weak huff.

“Yeah, been told that from time to time,” he laughs.

“Stop joking, your head feels like you’re burning,” Peter says strict, narrowing his eyes. The tone of his voice makes Tony’s stomach clench. “You stay here and don’t you dare move, I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

Tony wants to protest, but the words won’t come. He just looks at Peter like the textbook example of a submissive Omega, without getting a single word out. Then, Peter nods and turns around, leaving the lab. It takes Tony several minutes to even realize what just happened, it’s like his brain has turned into a puddle of mud or something. And God, who decided the lab needs to be lit up like the fucking sun itself?

“Friday, dim the lights please,” he groans and throws the pizza he still holds in his hand onto the table. He curls up on the couch and grabs one of the blankets to cover himself with it the best he can, for some reason feeling cold suddenly, even though he was sweating just seconds ago. Even dimmed to 20% the lights still seem too bright and he buries his face against a pillow, wondering what the hell is happening to him. He didn't get sick, did he? That makes no sense, he should have noticed that…

“Tony? Wake up, come on.”

Tony doesn't know where the voice comes from for a moment and tries to hide under the blanket, but then there's a gentle hand pulling it off his head and he is pushed into a sitting position, which finally makes him open his eyes again. Peter? What is the kid doing here?

“Tony, take this for me, will you?” Peter asks and holds out a cup in front of Tony’s face. He takes it with a shaking hand and peeks inside, spotting three pills of different colors and sizes. His mind can’t comprehend what Peter wants from him.

“What are those?”

“Painkillers, something to get your fever down and something to make sure you can sleep well,” Peter says softly and unscrews a bottle of juice he holds out too. “Please, it will make you feel better, I promise.”

Tony tries to speak, but the sharp pain in his head makes it impossible to focus enough to do that. Shit. What if Peter tries to drug and fuck him? Well, who is he to stop the kid? It’s not like he wouldn’t want that to happen anyway, so he’s not risking anything by taking the pills. He empties the cup and then takes the juice, emptying almost half of it to down the pills. He feels dehydrated even though he isn’t and the juice feels wonderfully cold in his hot throat.

“Good Omega,” Peter smiles and brushes a hand through Tony’s hair and he just can’t help but lean into the touch. It feels so nice, he actually closes his eyes for a moment and smiles weakly. “Can you sit still for a moment? I’ll make sure you can lay down in a bit.”

Tony nods, not really knowing what Peter is planning but not minding either. He wraps the blanket around himself again, keeping his eyes on the boy as he starts working to clean the couch of anything that prevents lying down. Then, he suddenly pushes the table away and pulls the two stools that belong to the couch closer, hooking them into the couch itself to create a bigger surface. It slowly dawns on Tony what Peter is doing, but he’s too drowsy to protest. He’s making a bed, not only for himself, but for Tony too.

After Peter put a thick blanket over the couch and stools to make an even surface he grabs the pillows and lines them up on one side, then comes back over to Tony finally.

“Lay down, okay? You need to rest, you’re sick,” he says, gently taking one of Tony’s arms. This time, though, Tony doesn’t move. Instead, he slowly shakes his head.

“I can’t sleep here,” he says quietly, even though everything in him screams to say yes. “It’s… too close. I can’t. If I’m hit with another wave and you’re this close…” Tony doesn’t finish the sentence, but he doesn’t have to. They both know what happens then.

“Tony, I’m not asking you to sleep here to get in your pants or to abuse your state,” Peter says sternly and looks at Tony. “You’re sick, you have a fever and I can’t let you sleep locked in a room like this. What if something happens and you can’t tell me?”

“But, my heat, I -”

Peter sighs and takes Tony’s hands into his own, pressing a kiss onto each of them. It’s such a soft and gentle gesture that it makes Tony’s chest ache.

“I won’t do anything, I  _ promise _ ,” he says quietly. “I’m worried about you, nothing else. If you’d rather sleep in the other room I understand, but don’t do it because you’re afraid I can’t hold myself back. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Tony doesn’t know what to say. The worry on Peter’s face doesn’t seem to be acted, he is genuinely concerned and Tony knows he won’t go through another heat wave before nine in the morning probably, a small blessing of mother nature at least. He could spend the night here, if only to ease Peter’s worries. At least, that’s the reason he settles for in the end when he nods, because there’s no way he will admit that he actually  _ wants _ to sleep next to Peter.

“I’ll behave, I promise,” Peter promises him again and helps Tony lay down. Then, he covers him with the blanket fully and gets a second one to make sure he stays warm. Tony just watches him, too stunned by his own decision to stay and too mesmerized by Peter caring so much about him to think much. He doesn't know why Peter is so kind and sweet, why he's the exact opposite of every other Alpha he ever met. Or why that's exactly what is do endearing and amazing in his eyes.

When Peter lays down next to him, Tony suddenly starts feeling nervous again. The kid scoots closer and he wraps his arms around him, pulling him against his chest carefully. He shouldn't feel so content and safe with Peter this close, but he does.

Suddenly, Peter reaches up and brushes his fingers over Tony's cheek and Tony realizes with a hint of shame that they are wet when he pulls them back. 

“It's gonna be okay, I won't go anywhere,” Peter says, his voice quiet and warm. “I'll stay with you, I won't leave you.”

Tony barely registers that he nods and that he leans his head against Peter's shoulder. He's tired, he's exhausted and his emotions are running wild, he doesn't even know how late it is anymore. He just knows Peter is there and that Peter is warm and holds him and, being the most stereotypical Omega possible, he finds comfort in that and doesn't try to fight it. Maybe he  _ is _ getting sick, maybe his heat is turning him into an emotional wreck, he can’t tell. But when Peter holds him, it doesn't feel so bad anymore.

It takes a while before Tony actually falls asleep. He feels his headache fade slowly and it's replaced with a dizzy and kind of numb feeling, which he assumes comes from whatever Peter gave him so he can sleep. For some time, it's a bit like his mind is still awake while his body already fell asleep and it feels kind of funny in a way. When he finally does fall asleep, he doesn't even realize it. He just feels warm and safe and it's like his worries are gone for at least this moment. Tony drifts away peacefully for the first time during one of his heats.

\-----

Tony wakes up rather early, without a headache and without feeling like a truck ran over him, turned around and then did it again. He also feels way cooler than the night before, which is a huge relief. No fever means he's on the way up again, maybe it was really just his body messing with him during his heat. Peter is still next to him, still cuddled up against his chest, something that makes Tony's both happy and sad at the same time. The kid had been so sweet and caring the last night, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment, he knows it, but Peter gave it to him anyway, without anyone asking him to.

“Why are you so good to me, Pete?” Tony sighs and gently brushes a hand through the boy’s hair, careful to not wake him up. No one ever cared for him like Peter does, not even his own father. His mother, yes, but she mostly did it because she had to, not because she actually wanted it. Unlike Peter, who even spends Tony's heat with him, without asking for anything in return.

Tony sighs and presses a kiss onto Peter's head. “I wish I could be what you need, Peter… I would give everything I have just to make you happy.” He speaks quietly to make sure Peter won't wake from it, but deep down he hopes that he does, that he will hear his words and that it will change something. It can't happen, Tony knows that and he knows that hope is for dreamers and make-believers, but God, he can't stop it. “One day you will find the perfect Omega and I will hate myself even more because I will let you go, because you deserve to be happy and I can't make you happy the way you need it. I wish it wouldn't happen, but I know it will and I know I will never again find an Alpha like you…”

Tony has tears in his eyes again but this time he doesn't wipe them off. It's of no use, they would come back immediately anyway. Peter is still asleep, Tony can hear the rhythmic breathing and wonders if he could get used to this sound, if he would start being unable to fall asleep without it eventually. He shakes his head at this thought, trying to not let it become too powerful. It's just another thing that can never happen.

“You are too good for this world, kid,” he sighs eventually, kissing Peter's head again. “I never want you to leave and yet I know you will one day and I won't ask you not to. I'd rather be miserable for the rest of my life than take your happiness away from you for just one second…”

_ Is this what love is? _ Tony asks himself, closing his eyes and leaning his head against Peter's.  _ Is love wanting someone else to be happy so much, you're willing to break your own heart that easily?  _

The aching in his chest is answer enough. Tony never truly loved someone else before. Sure, he had crushes sometimes and had dated - usually other Omegas to keep his Alpha facade up - but he never actually fell in love with anyone. Despite his age, he never experienced what it's like to love someone and to trust them fully, with all his heart, without having to hide himself.

“I think I love you, Peter,” Tony whispers after a long time, his heart throbbing at the sound of his own words. “I know it's wrong and that I shouldn't, that you deserve so much more than I could ever give you, but I can't pretend I don't… I'm sorry, I'm sorry for putting all of this on you, for pulling you into this when I know it's the worst thing I could possibly do…”

He almost can't swallow down a sob, in the end he only manages because otherwise Peter would wake up and he doesn't want the kid to see him this way. To calm himself down somehow, Tony closes his eyes and tries to just breathe, to not think, to not even feel, even though that's nearly impossible. He needs to stop this, but now that he finally admitted to himself - and out loud - what he truly feels for Peter, it's like there's nothing else he can think about anymore.

_ I can't do this to him, I can't let him know. Peter deserves something better, he deserves the world and all I can give him is not enough. I can't give him anything but pain and disappointment, he deserves so much more... _

Suddenly, Tony can feel Peter shift in his arms and he forces his thoughts away from this endless depth. He won't hurt the kid like this, no matter how he feels, no matter how much he wants him to be his. It won't happen, the sooner he accepts that, the easier it will be for both of them.

“How late is it?” Peter asks after a moment, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He sits up the best he can and Tony let's him before he opens his eyes.

“I think it's around seven… Friday?”

“It's 7:21, sir.”

“Close enough,” Tony shrugs and smiles at Peter. “Did you sleep well? Better than the floor, isn't it?”

Peter nods and gives him a sweet smile that makes Tony's heart flutter. “You look better than last night,” he says. “How do you feel?”

“Much better,” Tony smiles back and lets out a quiet laugh. “I truly embarrassed myself, didn't I? I'm sorry you had to see that.”

“You didn't, don't be silly.” Peter shakes his head slowly. “You were sick, that's nothing embarrassing. I'm glad you're feeling better now, I was… really worried.”

“I feel much better thanks to you,” Tony smiles softly and runs a hand through Peter's hair. Despite trying not to touch him, it happens against his will. “And I'm glad you made me stay here, I feel like it helped a lot to not be alone.”

“You need to leave soon, don't you?” Peter asks, frowning. He looks like he doesn't want it and Tony wishes he wouldn't be forced into this all the time.

“It won't be long,” Tony says softly, taking one of Peter's hands into his own. “In the morning it's intense, but never long. And then we can spend some time together if you want to.”

“That would be nice,” Peter says and smiles at him. “Maybe I can get us breakfast while you are… busy?”

“I would love that,” Tony laughs and squeezes the boy's hand. “You can go up to the penthouse to take a shower too if you want to, Friday will let you in. Your aunt knows you'll spend the weekend here?”

Peter rolls his eyes and gives Tony a look that clearly says he's being silly again. “Of course she does, I can still hear her preaching. 'Don't you dare annoy Mr. Stark, he's a very busy man and not your babysitter.’ ‘Don’t be demanding or greedy, it's a privilege that he invited you over for so long.’ and my absolute favorite: ‘I know you idolize him, but please don't embarrass yourself by being clingy!’ It was a fun talk, really.”

Tony blinks at the last sentence. Did… did May actually say that and meant it? Does Peter idolize him so much he needs a reminder to not be clingy? He knows that Iron Man is Peter's hero, he talked about this during Tony's last heat at some point but… Tony himself? That's something he didn't expect.

“I can assure you that you're anything but annoying,” Tony chuckles, trying to hide that he's touched by what Peter just said. “Or clingy. And even if you were, I don't mind clingy. Not with you at least.”

“I… I won't be, don't worry,” Peter quickly assures him and pulls his hand out from under Tony's, shoving himself off the couch. The sudden escape makes Tony's stomach twist but he keeps a straight face. “I'll get us some coffee, I think we both need one right now.”

Tony watches Peter as he walks over to the coffee machine and asks himself if he went too far with that. But Peter knows he doesn't mind when he's clingy, he never pushed him away before, did he? He shakes his head and sighs, trying hard to not let his thoughts wander into  _ that _ direction again. He can't let his mind spin off on things like that, not so shortly before his next wave. 

It’s quiet when Peter comes back and they drink their coffee, in silence, sitting on the edge of the couch. When Tony reaches for the sugar the same time Peter does, they both pull their hands back immediately upon brushing against the other's, followed by awkward laughter. Tony doesn't know what to think of it. Maybe it's too early for both of them, maybe after his wave they are more awake and things normalize again.

When it's time to leave, Tony leans over and presses a kiss onto Peter's cheek, smiling fondly at him. “See you in a bit, kid,” he says and retreats before his wave hits and turns him into something he doesn't want to be.

During most if the hour that follows, Tony manages to stay quiet. His mind still spins around Peter, that seems to be the only thing it's actually able to do anymore, but he forces himself into silence because even when he's alone, every time he moans Peter's name it's like someone pushes a hot iron through his heart.

It's over faster than he expects, which leaves him enough time for a long shower and to even wash his hair, and when he sits back down on his desk to run the communication, he actually feels refreshed. That is until the camera feed turns on and he spots Peter - Peter who sits on the couch like the first time Tony saw him during his last heat, his arms wrapped around his knees and obviously sobbing. Tony's heart feels like someone just turned it to ice.

“Pete?” he asks with a trembling voice and at the sound of it, the kid flinches. God, what happened while he was gone? “Peter, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

There's no answer coming, just a heart wrenching sob that makes Tony want to scream.

“Friday, what happened? What's wrong with him?”

There's a long pause - way too long for Tony's taste - before Friday answers. She sounds ashamed. “That might be my fault, sir, I'm sorry.”

“What did you do?” Tony wants to know, narrowing his eyes. Why would Friday upset the kid like this?

“Peter asked if I knew what was wrong with you, why you acted so strange last night, so I told him.”

“I was sick, yeah… why would that upset him so much?” Tony asks confused and Friday hesitates again.

“You… you were not sick, sir,” she says quietly. “You were having something called Omega Mating Distress, which was caused by your heat and Peter’s presence.”

“Friday… what did you tell him?”

“I showed him the footage from this morning because he didn’t understand why you would experience something like this. He believed he did something wrong and I wanted to calm him down, I’m sorry, sir.”

Tony feels like someone just emptied a bucket of ice water above his head. She can’t be serious… if she showed Peter the footage, he… he heard him say all those things… his hand flies back to the keyboard so Peter can hear him. He has to fix this, now. Fuck, this is his fault. Peter is crying because of him and he needs to fix this before it gets even worse.

“Peter, open the door…” he says quietly, unable to raise his voice above more than that. “I can explain, I promise, I didn’t mean to upset you…”

For a moment, Peter doesn’t react. Tony almost believes he won’t at all and that he needs to reprogram Friday to get out himself when he hears it; a quiet sobbing voice that says ‘Open, Fri’. He hears the familiar noise when the locks open, but he’s suddenly scared to actually leave. What if Peter is not sad, but actually angry at him? What if Tony steps out and he makes everything worse?

“Pete…” he says, really not sure where to go from there. “I fucked up, kid, I’m sorry…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Peter sniffs and just the sound of his voice hurts more than any fist to his face ever could. How can he answer this question?

“I didn’t know how, Pete, this… this isn’t easy for me.” Tony doesn’t know how to explain to Peter that this isn’t something he ever experienced. God, it’s like he’s a fucking teenager himself again who has his first crush and who’s completely blowing it all up without being able to stop it. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Finally Peter looks up and wipes his eyes, shaking his head. He opens his mouth to say something, but all that comes out is another sob that makes Tony want to punch himself in the face for his own stupidity and he can’t take it anymore. This is all because of him, Peter is hurt because of him and he can’t stand seeing the kid like that any longer. He pushes himself off and finally steps outside, without a word walking over to the couch to pull Peter into his arms tightly.

“I’m sorry, kid, I’m so fucking sorry,” he says and buries his face in the boy’s hair. “You were so sweet and nice and I just fuck it up so badly. You did nothing wrong, I promise.”

Peter sobs again and shakes his head, his fingers buried deep in Tony’s shirt and holding onto him as if he’s drowning. He’s shaking and Tony hates it, without even thinking grabbing one of the blankets to wrap it around the kid so he might calm down under the warmth of it.

“I didn’t know what I felt, Pete, I really didn’t,” Tony tries to explain, his throat tight and his voice thick and quiet. “You’re so different from other Alphas, I never felt like this before and I had no idea what to do… I know you’re mad at me and I understand it, really, but I never meant to hurt you.”

With another sniff, Peter pushes himself up, without letting go of Tony, and looks away from him. “I’m not mad,” he says quietly, shaking his head again. “I… I hoped you’d like me, but I didn’t know you’d hate it so much.”

Tony stiffens. “Oh, Peter… I don’t hate it and I always liked you, okay? But this is different, I’m not… used to this.”

“If I may interject, sir? Peter, the boss never showed any signs of being in love with someone, Alpha or not, and experiencing these things right now, especially during his heat, makes it very difficult to cope with them.”

Tony grits his teeth and shoots the ceiling an annoyed look. “Thanks, Friday. It’s not like I would be able to say that myself.”

“Well, you didn’t and it’s something that Peter needs to know.”

“W-What do you mean you’ve… never been in love?” Peter asks surprised and confused, looking back and forth between the ceiling and Tony.

“Look, it’s not that easy,” Tony sighs and finally lets go of Peter to rub his temples. He’s about to do an emotional striptease, isn’t he? It sure feels like it. “I don’t like Alphas normally, okay? They make me uncomfortable, especially when I’m close to them. Even those I live with. It's a nightmare to be around Steve at times because he stinks of Alpha pheromones… but with you it’s different.”

“You looked pretty uncomfortable a while ago…”

“I’m not sure if you know how terrified I was when you started to realize I’m not what I pretended to be,” Tony laughs awkwardly before giving Peter a gentle smile. “I literally bathed in artificial Alpha scent and you sniffed right through it. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Peter blushes hard and looks horribly embarrassed. “I… I didn’t know what was going on at first,” he says ashamed, without looking up. “I just knew you smelled different than the others and… I really liked it.”

“You… liked it?” Tony asks surprised. He didn’t expect that, not even now. That Peter likes how he smells in heat is normal, but that he liked it before too? No, definitely not.

“You smelled kind of… warm?” Peter looks as if he wanted to say something else and after a moment, shakes his head, trying again. “It was a really faint smell the moment I met you, but when I was closer to you it was… really comforting? Like, when you’re all cuddled up in bed and just can’t get up because it’s so comfy and you just want to stay there forever...”

It’s the first time anyone ever said something so sweet about him and Tony isn’t sure if he should smile or burst into tears. He settles for a weak smirk in the end and thinks back to the first time he had met Peter. He had looked surprised, but who wouldn’t be if Tony Stark suddenly sat on their aunt’s couch, right? Back then Tony didn’t know about Peter’s enhanced sense of smell yet, but when he thinks back to them being alone, he notices that his behavior had changed the closer he was, even back then already. And that didn’t change later, when they worked together, either.

“Were you ever close to an Omega before?” Tony asks curious. Given Peter’s age this surely must have happened in the past. “I mean, when you were alone with them?”

“One time,” Peter says after thinking for a moment, but he doesn't look very happy. “They didn’t smell comforting though… not like you.”

“You know why?”

“I think I just… didn’t like them that much?” Peter looks back up finally, a hint of confusion on his face. “I mean, I did like them, but… it was different.”

Tony’s smirk turns into a smile and he leans forward, pressing a kiss onto Peter’s forehead. “I’m sorry for upsetting you with all of this, I didn’t think Friday would be such a snitch and expose me like this. I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“No, I… I’m glad she showed me,” Peter says, still blushing and dropping his gaze to his hands on his lap. “I thought I went too far last night when I made you stay here, even after you said it’s okay. I… I was a bit demanding, wasn’t I?”

“Sometimes I need a bit of pushing,” Tony laughs and rubs Peter’s back gently. “I’m glad you were here, really. Otherwise I would have just passed out without even knowing where the hell I am.”

“You’re not mad that I… basically forced you to do what I wanted?”

“You weren’t doing it to hurt me, Pete,” Tony smiles softly at the boy. That Peter worried so much over doing something that he might not want is utterly heartwarming. “You were worried and I probably scared you to death.”

“Well, I nearly crashed into a truck while getting those meds because I didn’t pay attention, so that’s not all wrong,” Peter admits and scratches his neck awkwardly. “If I hadn’t put on the suit…”

Tony’s heart aches and he hugs Peter again, simply because he can’t stop himself. Peter being so scared about him that he didn’t even pay attention to traffic would be something Tony would scold him for any other time, but right now it just makes him feel so unbelievably happy.

“I’m glad you made it back,” Tony says and presses a kiss against Peter’s cheek as the boy holds onto his arm. “You were amazing, I mean it. I was completely baffled when you told me to stop joking around, that’s not something people usually do.”

“You felt like you were melting!” Peter says sharply, both ashamed and worried and looks back up at Tony. “I thought you’d pass out any second…”

“I wasn’t far from it,” Tony admits and combs his fingers through Peter’s hair slowly. “But even when you gave me those pills and I had no idea what they were I wasn’t worried. I trust you, Peter. I knew you wouldn’t hurt me.”  _ And even if you had, I wouldn’t have minded,  _ Tony thinks, without actually saying it out loud.

“I… I would never do that,” Peter mumbles, blushing. Tony brushes his fingers over his cheek, smiling sweetly before pressing a kiss onto it.

“I know you wouldn’t,” he assures him. “You were so sweet and caring, I knew you wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want. Someone else might have used my vulnerable state to their advantage, but not you.”

Tony can’t believe he even considered Peter doing anything inappropriate the night before, he can only blame it on his messed up head and the fever. Peter is perfect, he’s the sweetest Alpha imaginable. Hurting him is the last thing he would do.

“Did you… mean what you said this morning?” Peter asks shyly after a moment, furrowing his brows. Tony doesn’t know why he looks so worried, but he smiles warmly and apologetically at him at the question.

“I did, but I don’t want you to feel pressured because of that,” he says calmly, without sounding demanding or as if he expects anything. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise. It’s just me because I have never been this close with an Alpha I like so much, especially not during this time. I didn’t mean to freak you out or scare you, that’s why I didn’t say anything.”

“I’m not… scared,” Peter says quietly and shakes his head. “Or freaked out. I’m just… surprised, that’s all. I didn’t think you’d ever… like me this way.”

Tony isn’t sure what Peter means by that. Does he like him the same way he does? Is that why he reacted so extremely to seeing the footage of Tony confessing his feelings? It would make sense, it wouldn’t be the first time admiration turned into more, Tony had this happen in the past already. The difference is, with others he was always kind of annoyed because it was moving into this direction, but with Peter? It’s simply endearing and nice and it’s so…  _ Peter _ .

“Do you like  _ me  _ this way?” he asks carefully, hoping he doesn’t overstep another line with his question. Peter looks away, but his hand searches for one of Tony’s and gripped it tightly.

“If I… if I did… would you be mad?” Peter asks with a quiet, scared sounding voice and for a second, Tony’s heart jumps.

“I could never be mad at you, Pete,” Tony promises, brushing his thumb over Peter’s hand. “Are you serious with that? I mean…  _ do  _ you like me that way?” He shouldn’t encourage the kid, he shouldn’t want him to say yes, really. It’s wrong, it’s selfish and abusive as hell, but Tony can’t help himself. 

“I think so,” Peter mumbles, chewing on his bottom lip. He still didn’t turn around again, but Tony can see that he’s trying to find the right words. Tony gives him all the time he needs. “You make me feel really good when I’m close to you and when I’m not I think about you…”

“Do you think that’s love?” Tony asks, honestly curious, but Peter shakes his head.

“No, not that,” he admits and finally looks back up. There is a certain sadness in his eyes, but it doesn’t spread to the rest of his face. “I thought I was just crushing, that would be normal after, well… you’ve been my hero for so long, you know?” Peter gives him an awkward little smile. “But last night, when I saw you like that… I felt something else.”

“What… did you feel?” Tony asks slowly, his mouth utterly dry all of a sudden.

“I was terrified you might die and I… I didn't know what I would do without you… you were so hurt, I thought I was burning my hand when I touched you and… I felt so awful.” Peter sounds as if he’s in pain and Tony’s chest tightens at that against his will. “I didn’t mean to order you around, but I was scared you might be hurt even more if I didn’t… I don’t think I ever felt so helpless before.”

“Oh, Peter,” Tony sighs and cups the boy’s face gently. “You did the right thing, I promise. You were amazing and I’m so lucky you were there for me.”

“I felt so horrible until I came back, Tony. I feared I'd come back and you might be dead...” Peter sniffs and squeezes Tony’s hand tightly. “I couldn’t let you sleep somewhere else, I had to stay with you… I never felt like this before.”

“I’ve never slept better, Peter,” Tony smiles fondly. “Thank you for not letting me leave and probably just pass out without any of us noticing.”

“You’re not disappointed that I feel like this?” Peter asks, wiping his eyes. “You… you sounded so sad when you said those things…”

Tony felt a horrible wave of guilt wash over him. When he said all of that, he didn’t think Peter would ever hear his words. Now that he thinks about it, however, he realizes how easily the boy was able to misunderstand them like this.

“I was sad, Peter, but not because I feel this way for you,” he assures the boy, pulling his hand up and kissing it gently. “You heard what I said… none of that was a lie. I’m sad because I know it’s wrong to feel this way and that I will hurt you if I don’t stop pushing you the way I did already. You don’t deserve this. You deserve a sweet and caring Omega, one you can be happy with and… I’m scared of the day you will find them.”

Peter is silent for what feels like forever until he leans forward, burying his face against Tony’s chest and wrapping his free arm around him. “You never pushed me, Tony,” he whispers quietly. “I wanted to be close to you, I wanted to be with you…”

God, Tony wants this to be okay so badly, but he just knows it can’t be. And yet, despite knowing it’s wrong, he presses two fingers against the boy’s chin, carefully tilting his head up. When their eyes meet, Tony’s are full of the same adoration he felt ever since he realized how much Peter truly means to him and he can’t even try to bring himself to hide it.

“I wish I could be all that you deserve, Peter,” he says softly, his voice thick from emotions.

“But you already are,” Peter whispers and then he leans forward and kisses Tony - and for a moment, if only this one time, Tony believes him.

There is something so pure about this kiss, something so desperate and almost magical. Tony carefully wraps his arms around Peter and holds him close, without forcing him to go any further than he’s ready to, and when he feels the boy’s teeth against his lips, he parts them willingly with a weak sigh. Peter isn’t dominant, not really, but he guides the kiss and it feels utterly thrilling for some reason. Tony happily allows him to keep going, savoring the Alpha’s wonderfully sweet scent that seems to be everywhere and the amazingly rich taste in his mouth.

When Peter pulls back, Tony desperately wants to protest. He doesn’t, but it still feels like he’s losing something precious when they part.

“Pete…” Tony sighs, his eyes still closed just to not see the disappointment in Peter’s eyes at his words. “You don’t know how much I want this to be true, but I can’t hurt you like this… I can’t… I can’t give you what you deserve and need, kid. I’m not good enough for you.”

“Tony, don’t say that,” Peter whispers, his hands suddenly back on the Omega’s face, holding him gently. When Tony opens his eyes, he can see Peter’s pretty brown ones, shimmering with tears. “You make me so happy, please don’t say that you’re not good enough… you’re so much more than I deserve…”

In a perfect world, Tony would lose all his doubts at Peter's words, he would kiss him again and they would be happily ever after. But this world isn't perfect and neither is Tony, which means instead of the happiness and relief he wants to feel, Tony's heart fills with a horrible sadness. He takes Peter's hands and slowly pulls them off his face, looking at him.

“I would never forgive myself if I hurt you, Peter,” he says quietly and honest, knowing that he probably does just that right now. “I'm wouldn't be a good Omega, all I can do is pretend to be an Alpha and disappoint people. You deserve someone better, someone who isn't going to ruin your life. You deserve to be loved and to have a family and someone who cares for you and I don't know how to do any of these things.”

“You're always looking out for me, Tony,” Peter says with a sad smile that reflects the tears in his eyes. “I would have died a hundred times already if it weren't for you, how is that not caring about me? And if you ruin my life, then why am I so damn happy whenever I'm with you? You're the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I will ruin it if I'm with you, how can't you see that?” Tony asks, shaking his head. “I’m too old, too used, too wrong and messed up to do anything else! I-”

Peter cuts his words off with a kiss, so suddenly that Tony's eyes actually widen for a moment. He looks at the boy, but there's not even a hint of doubt in his eyes before he closes them, as if he's not just throwing his future away for an Omega who can't even accept what he is and be open about it. And yet, Tony can't prevent his body from melting against Peter's, from kissing him back because it's an experience he aches for so desperately, it overwhelms all his senses.

“Stop saying such awful things about yourself, Tony,” Peter finally whispers when he pulls back, resting his hands against Tony's chest. “I don't care how old you are, I don't care if you're a mess or pretend you're an Alpha and I wouldn't even care if you told me you slept with everyone in this tower. I  _ love _ you, I want to  _ be _ with you, I don't want to lose you, that's all I care about.” 

Tony is completely speechless, just looking at Peter in complete disbelief. This can't be happening, Peter must have lost his mind or Tony hit his head and is hallucinating. The sweetest Alpha in the world didn't just tell him that he loves him and wants to be with him. This can't be happening.

“I definitely did  _ not  _ sleep with anyone in the tower,” Tony eventually says and looks at Peter, not even knowing why the hell he picks up on this specific part. There’s a moment of awkward silence and then Peter suddenly laughs, trying to hide it with his hand and Tony can honestly say he has never seen anything so damn adorable. 

“I’m glad about that for sure,” Peter grins when he manages to take back control. “But I mean it, I… I wouldn’t care… the last weeks were really nice, you know? I felt really comfortable around you…”

“So did I,” Tony smiles softly. The last weeks  _ had  _ been nice, that’s true. Whenever Peter was over at the lab they had lots of fun and it was all very at ease. They laughed, they joked around, they talked… and none of it felt forced, unlike Tony’s usual personal encounters with Alphas. “It’s nice with you around, Pete. And it’s nice not having to pretend for a while.”

“I won’t push you into anything, Tony, I just… like being with you,” Peter says quietly after a moment, pulling away and shifting on the couch. He looks uncomfortable, but it’s clear that it isn’t because of Tony himself, just because of the topic. “I’m sorry for overreacting like this… I didn’t mean to worry you or anything.”

“Kid, it’s far too late to not have me worry about you,” Tony laughs warmly, squeezing Peter’s shoulder. “I’ll always worry about you, that’s kind of an instinct at this point.”

Peter blushes slightly and turn his head, then shakes it slowly. “I don’t mean because of that,” he mumbles.

“I know, kid,” Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m bad with… feelings. I make dumb jokes when I should be serious instead, I can’t help it. I’m not laughing about you, I promise.”

“I know you’re not, it’s just… I  _ really  _ like being with you,” Peter admits shyly, wringing his hands. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything and I told you I won’t say anything to anyone, I… I just want you to be happy, that’s all.”

“Oh, Peter,” Tony smiles and leans forward, pressing a kiss onto the Alpha’s cheek. “You do make me happy, really. I haven’t been this happy for a long time. I thought you’d hate me when I realized you found out and that you’d turn cold. Wouldn’t be the first time, but this time it would have actually hurt.”

“I’d never hate you,” Peter says with a frown and shakes his head determinedly. “That you’re an Omega doesn’t change who you are, I don’t understand why it would. What about this would change how I see you?”

Tony swallows when Peter looks up at him with honest and confused eyes. He looks like he truly doesn’t know why anything would change just because he is an Omega and this is something Tony has never seen on anyone’s face, not even his own. Which isn’t something he can blame the kid for, is it? It’s something that Tony is dealing with, a fear that he is trying to fight for the majority of his life. Peter is not to blame for not understanding.

“I don’t have the best experiences with Alphas, Peter,” Tony replies quietly, trying to not sound accusing. “When I realized what was happening and that you actually saw through my bluff, I panicked. It wasn’t fair, I shouldn’t have shouted at you and be so cruel, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

“Did you… did you think I’d hurt you?” Peter asks sadly and Tony feels his heart drop in his chest.

“I don’t know, seriously,” Tony sighs and shakes his head. “Look, whenever someone actually found out, it turned out to be a nightmare. When I was in college I wasn’t careful enough and went into heat while I was with an Alpha and I had to break his nose to get away from him when he snapped. I didn’t watch my cycle yet so it was kind of my fault, but… I still remember it. Just like the disgusted and mocking words and looks other Alphas have given me in the past. Those things never go away. I was scared you’d be like them.”

“I would never!” Peter says immediately, his eyes widening in shock. “You’re still you! You’re… you’re still Tony…”

There’s a small part of Tony that whispers to him, saying Peter doesn’t actually mean what he says. But he knows that’s not true. Peter is not like this, he is honestly shocked about Tony’s words. He would never be like this.

“You don’t know how much it means to me that you think like this,” Tony finally says, pulling Peter into his arms to hug him gently. “I know I had no reason to be scared now, but I didn’t back then… I was too terrified you’d tell everyone and that they would turn on me even more than they already do at times.”

“I’d never tell anyone,” Peter says sternly and his expression hardens as he looks up. “Even if you’d hate me for knowing, I would never tell...”

“I know you wouldn’t,” Tony smiles fondly. “I feel bad for even thinking that you might, but I know better now. And I’m not scared you might hurt me, I promise. If you wanted to, you would have done it already when I couldn’t defend myself.”

Peter shakes his head, looking almost mortified. “I would never do that,” he says quietly, almost ashamed, as if he knows exactly what Tony is talking about. Maybe he does, Tony thinks, but doesn’t say it.

“I think we’ve been emotional enough for one morning,” Tony says eventually, not wanting Peter to go down this trail of thoughts and maybe even question himself in the end. “You must be hungry, I sure am. Come, let’s stop crying and get something to eat, okay?”

It takes a moment before Peter nods and wipes his eyes again. When he turns around and smiles at Tony, and he can’t help but hug the kid again. Peter is just too sweet and adorable, he never thought he could feel this lucky.

\-----

The rest of the day goes by without any more tears and after they finally get breakfast, things start to feel a bit easier again. For a while they work and when their hands brush over the table, Peter blushes for a moment before leaning over and kissing Tony shyly. It’s the sweetest kiss Tony ever got and he can’t help but smile when he feels his heart flutter. Around noon they order Italian and Peter goes to pick it up, telling Tony jokingly that he needs to take him to dinner after this for all the walking he’s doing. Tony makes a mental note to do just that as soon as his heat is over, but he won’t tell Peter. He will just pick him up after school and take him somewhere nice and treat the sweet Alpha the way he deserves it. If he’d tell him, Peter would complain about him spending money on something that was meant as a joke, but for Tony it’s not a joke.

That second night, Tony doesn’t even try to go to his heat room to sleep. They watch a movie, cuddled up on the couch neither of them bothered to assemble again, so it’s still a very comfy improvised bed and both fall asleep shortly before the movie is over. For a few minutes the lab is still lit and the TV stays on, then Friday turns off both so they can sleep undisturbed.

When Tony wakes up the next morning, Peter is still asleep and his back feels slightly sore from sleeping in a half sitting position, but he doesn’t mind. Peter leans against his chest, one arm around his waist and he’s so warm and Tony can’t help but smile. He runs a hand through the Alpha’s hair, just looking at him contently. Being close to Peter is calming and comforting, especially like this. For Tony, who always makes sure to stay away from Alphas when it comes to physical contact outside of fighting, this is as confusing as it is interesting.

Of course part of why he’s not feeling uncomfortable could be simply because Peter is so much younger than him, but that’s not all. There’s something different about the kid, something he can’t quite put a finger on yet. 

Peter is kind and sweet, not corrupted by the typical Alpha stereotypes that still seem to spread so easily, but for how much longer? Will he change as he gets older, realizing that it’s just easier and more profitable when he’s as arrogant and cruel as most Alphas are? Tony hopes it’s not what will happen. Peter is perfect the way he is, he doesn’t want him to change, ever. 

Even if he can’t keep him forever, simply because he knows one day Peter will move on, he wants to see if they can work. At least for once, Tony wants to trust an Alpha and Peter makes it so easy for him, there’s nothing in him fighting against it. It’s selfish, at least to a degree, but he won’t push Peter. It’s going to be his decision whether or not he wants this to be any more than a few days they are close, but Tony hopes he does.

It’s the last day of Tony’s heat and during the first two waves, Peter keeps himself busy with cleaning up the lounge area and reading, both times greeting Tony when he comes back with a tight hug. The second time, though, something is different. It’s probably a bit mean, but Tony ditched the shower before coming out, simply cleaning himself up quickly. He wants to know how Peter reacts to it, to his scent that is much richer this way and much more intense.

At first, the Alpha’s hug is just the same as the last one, but then he suddenly sniffs and his hands on Tony’s back tense a little. He doesn’t move back, just stays close with his face against the Omega’s chest until Tony chuckles.

“Is something wrong, Pete?” he asks cheekily, watching Peter’s head slowly turn so he looks up at him.

“You smell… really good…” Peter says quietly and Tony can’t stop himself from pulling the boy’s face up to kiss him. It’s not forceful or demanding, just happy and gentle, just like Peter deserves it.

“Do you like it?” he asks softly, brushing his thumbs over Peter’s cheek and the Alpha nods.

“It’s your heat, isn’t it?” Peter asks carefully, leaning his head back against Tony’s chest and inhaling slowly. “It smells better on you than through the door…”

Tony’s heart jumps and he hugs Peter carefully, smiling. “You’re very calm for smelling it up close,” he chuckles and presses a kiss onto the Alpha’s head. “No naughty thoughts running through your pretty little head at it?” 

Peter’s cheeks flush and he shakes his head slowly, face pressed against Tony’s chest, which makes Tony chuckle again. “It’s okay if you have those, I promise. It’s natural when you smell an Omega’s heat.”

“I… I don’t,” Peter mumbles, holding onto Tony’s shirt with his fingers. “You… you didn’t smell like this before…”

“I thought you might like it,” Tony admits, combing his fingers gently through Peter’s hair. “And I wanted to know if you’d do anything rash when you smell it.”

“W-Why?” Peter sounds almost scared when he asks and looks up again, chin still on Tony’s chest. He looks so utterly innocent and confused, it brightens Tony’s smile easily. What he’s about to ask Peter doesn’t come easy, however. It’s a big thing, something that he has never asked anyone before and he doesn’t think he ever will.

“I have one last wave coming, Peter,” he says gently, looking down at the Alpha. “And I… want to ask you if you want to stay with me during it.”

The silence between them is heavy and Tony can see Peter’s eyes widen when he realizes what he just asked him. What it means that he asked it. He doesn’t look scared anymore now, but impossibly shocked and stunned.

“Y-You really… want me to stay with you?” he asks quietly, almost in a whisper. Tony can feel Peter’s heart race as he’s still pressed so tightly against him and his own is no better.

“Only if you want to,” Tony assures him fondly. “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t sure I wanted this, I promise.”

Peter swallows and nods, slowly pushing himself away a little. “Can I… think about it?” he asks, as if he’s not sure whether or not the question will disappoint Tony.

“Of course you can,” Tony promises and leans forward, kissing Peter’s cheek. “It’s your decision, Pete, whatever you decide I will be happy with.”

Peter nods again, but doesn’t say anything. Tony doesn’t push him, simply leads him back over to the lounge where two coffees are steaming and waiting already. He will give him time, as much as Peter needs and if he decides he doesn’t want it, then nothing will change and Tony will still love him just the same. It’s a step he needs to be comfortable with, not something to throw himself into just because Tony asked.

It’s unusually quiet for the next hour, but after a few minutes Peter leans back against Tony and the Omega wraps an arm around him, gently rubbing his side. Tony is nervous, but he can feel that Peter is too. He’s not even sure what would happen if Peter actually says yes. All he knows is that Alphas tend to lose their minds around an Omega in heat, but then again Peter has been so extremely sweet and didn’t even try anything when he actually smelt Tony’s heat on him, so maybe he won’t be like that?

_ And if he does, it’s not like I would mind, _ Tony’s unconsciousness reminds him and he has to try not to smile. It’s not okay, sure, but it’s true. Then again, he doesn’t want Peter to lose control, he’s too special for that, too sweet and amazing.

“Tony?” Peter suddenly says, ripping Tony out of his reverie. He looks down surprised, but the Alpha isn’t looking at him.

“What’s wrong, Peter?” he asks, slightly confused.

“If I… do something you don’t want… will you stop me?”

Peter sounds so afraid and worried, it makes Tony’s chest tighten. He wraps his arms tight around the boy again and pulls him closer.

“Why do you think you would do that?”

“I don’t know,” Peter shrugs and snuggles against Tony’s chest. “It’s just… what Alphas do, right? You said it yourself… I don’t want to force myself onto you…”

“With you I wouldn’t even mind if you did,” Tony smirks and kisses Peter’s head. “But I know you won’t. There’s nothing you could do that I wouldn’t want, I promise. And if you don’t want to do anything that’s okay, really.”

Peter’s cheeks flush and he hides his face against Tony’s chest. “But you… you need to do something for it to end, or not?”

“Yes, but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” Tony promises with a smile. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready to do, okay?”

Peter nods and for a while stays silent, just holding Tony with his arms around his waist. Tony actually thinks Peter fell asleep and is about to doze off himself when the boy speaks again.

“I want to stay with you,” he says quietly, almost shy. Just a few words, but they are enough to make Tony’s heart flutter. He stays silent though, waiting for Peter to continue. “I don’t know if I can… help you through it actively, but I want to be with you. I trust you.”

“I would love that,” Tony sighs happily and squeezes Peter tightly. “And I trust you too, I know you won’t do anything bad.”

It doesn’t take long before Tony can feel his last wave announce itself and when it does, he sits up, gently upwrapping his arms from around Peter. The boy sits up, looking at him and when their eyes meet it’s clear what’s going on.

“You still sure you want to do this?” Tony asks and Peter nods, despite his flushing cheek.

“Do you want to leave or…”

Peter can’t finish his sentence before Tony leans forward and kisses him and without even missing a heartbeat, Peter kisses back, melting against the other’s lips and eventually scooting closer again. Tony can feel his body heat up, but this time there is no pain at all, not like all those other times. He knows it’s because of Peter, it’s because he’s finally with the one his body and his heart have been aching for all this time.

When they part, Tony cups Peter’s face with one hand, smiling fondly as the other rests on the boy’s hips. His heart is racing, but it doesn’t matter. Not when he looks into those pretty doe eyes.

“Alpha…” Tony whispers, for the first time using this word for Peter and he can see the boy’s face light up with sheer happiness and joy. Peter covers Tony’s hand on his cheek with his own, leaning forward to kiss him softly.

“Omega…”

The way Peter says this word with so much love makes Tony’s heart jump and his worries slowly fade away. His mind doesn’t shut off like he feared it would, not at all. He knows what’s happening, he knows that he wants this and he never felt this happy before. It’s okay, he knows it. With Peter, it’s going to be okay.


End file.
